Family Runs Deep
by SandsnakeQueen
Summary: The Onizakis's connection to fellow Hero clans like the Todorokis and the Yaoyorozus runs deep. Their latest generations just happen to be the latest links in the chain. Old bonds reconnect and new ones form over time, so follow as some carve their path towards being heroes, while others try to maintain it. Follows canon, with a bit more Aizawa thrown right in to sweeten the pot.
1. Prologue: Interest

**Hi y'all!** **A** **fter having bing** **ed** **the BNHA manga for four days straight, from start to finish, I decided that I** **would** **write a story of my own to contribute to the** **fandom** **. While reading the manga, certain questions came to mind . . .**

 **Did Aizawa-sensei ever have a crush in high school? Did he even entertain the thou** **ght of one?**

 **What if Endeavor had a rival growing up** **? Like s** **omeone that was** **around his** **age, was in** **the** **same grade (maybe even the same class?), and powerful enough to warrant such competition** **. Particularly not All Might, but someone that was at his level of combat, and who could command respect in a way that even he couldn't deny?**

 **What if there was a Hero family that, well, actually** **tried to go against the grain and act like a typical family, even** **with their own sha** **re of internal issues? Like, they try to act normal, but due to their high pedigree, history of quirks, and popularity in society, normalcy is a hard thing for them to maintain?**

 **Anyway, this piece will try to** **explore** **th** **e** **se questions and ideas, as well as involve the Hero families of BNHA a little more, mainly the Todorokis and Yaoyorozus (well, it'll try to. That counts right?) while also exploring my own original Hero family, the Onizakis** **. I'm also** **throwing in some Shouta Aizawa into the mix, simply because I love that man, and that love will never stop. (I'm a bit ambitious. I must admit.)**

 **This story will follow the original, c** **anon** **storyline, but with my twists to it, so don't worry, Izuku and Co. are coming along for the ride. (Phew) However, this is going to be a multi pairing story, mainly AizawaxOC, ShoutoxOC, and MomoxOC, with some others here and there. So, without further ado, let's get this story started with the prologue.**

 **Let's get a bit into Aizawa's past, shall we** **?**

* * *

 _ **Prologue**_ _-_ _Interest_

 _15 Years Ago_

 _"_ _I can barely keep my eyes open, and I'm probably opening myself to a lot of pain and embarrassment if I make it far enough_ . . . _What the hell am I getting myself into?"_

That was the first thing that popped into the tired mind of fifteen-year-old Shouta Aizawa as he looked up at the huge, glass building standing before him. It would be his home away from home for the next three years of his young, adolescent life.

The building wasn't just a building. It was a symbol, a beacon, a long-standing icon for a major component of the world today: heroism . . .

. . . And now he was a part of it, whether he liked it or not.

Shouta could have easily taken the regular high school examinations, and with a logical mind like his, he could have been accepted to a couple of the good schools Japan had to offer.

But no, he didn't choose the typical path.

For some reason that even he couldn't figure out, he didn't want to settle with normalcy.

He went for the atypical one. . .

He went for the path of heroes.

And it was going to start here, at the building he was standing in front of right now.

U.A. High School.

 _The_ U.A. High School.

The number one school for heroes in the country, and one of the best in the _entire world_.

Yeah, he could have easily made some of the other hero schools his top choice, but something in him (his innate heroic side maybe?) made him pick U.A. first.

Examination day came and went, and Shouta had to admit that he had a little luck was on his side that day. For the longest time, U.A. had used a thorough, two-part entrance exam to test those that weren't part of the recommended group, but starting the year after his, the test would be shortened and more streamlined, a suggestion made by an influential, outside group who thought that the students shouldn't be going through such a 'bulky, high-risk' test.

Aizawa immediately thought that reasoning was bullshit.

The written part was standard issue, but the practical was different. Each department in the school had their own practical they tested the kids on, and the students were allowed to take the practical of their choice for said department.

Most chose the practical for the hero course.

That was the main point in going to U.A. after all right? If you're not trying to be a hero, what's the point of going to U.A. in the first place?

However, not everyone could make it in, and the practical for the Hero course had a history of being the hardest in the entire school. So hard in fact, that it actually had three tests in one.

A combat test, a search and rescue test, and a test on teamwork.

The combat test was the most straightforward: take down robots to accumulate as many points as possible. The search and rescue test had the students look for planted dummies in a wrecked city simulation - the fact that U.A. even had the space to have the replica of an _entire city built on their premises_ still stunning Shouta to this day - and rescue them to accumulate points. Finally, the teamwork test put the students in groups of five to go against heroes that volunteered to act as villains, including some of the U.A staff.

The latter still made Aizawa grimace, mainly because the group he got stuck with were mostly in it for themselves and didn't realize the true point of the test until he had to point it out to them close to the end. They managed to catch their 'villain', but from that instance alone, Aizawa hoped that the people he was paired with didn't make it in.

Yes, sometimes even he can get petty.

Each test was out of 100, making the total possible number that the students could get 300. Shouta had no idea what score he got, but he wouldn't deny that he was a little relieved to see the large white envelope with the U.A. insignia printed on the front waiting for him in his mailbox.

And now here he was, weeks later, standing in front of the building, currently questioning his life choices.

" _Again, what the hell am I getting myself into?"_ he thought again, as if his already tired mind would somehow give him the answer if he just repeated the question.

Yeah, his brain was being no help on that front.

Taking in a deep breath, Aizawa joined his fellow students as they made their way into the building, following the throng until they reached the school's auditorium up on the second floor. He was never one for long-winded ceremonies since he always saw them as repetitive, a waste of time, and a complete pain in the ass. To him, they were simply distractions from better things to do, like sleep, which sounded mighty fine to him at the moment.

He was searching the room for a spot that was as far away from the main stage as humanly possible when he spotted a hand waving frantically nearby, almost desperate for attention. He almost scowled at it, but when he realized it was his friend Yamada who was doing the waving, he sighed in defeat, knowing that his friend wouldn't rest until he acknowledged him.

"Took you long enough to get here Shouta!" Hizashi cried as Aizawa slipped into the seat on his right, somehow managing not to yell the black-haired teen's head off in the process. "You did set your alarm clock for once right?"

"Who needs an alarm clock when I have a living loudspeaker as a friend constantly texting me wake up messages every five seconds till I answer?" Aizawa replied with a tired gaze as he rested his head on the desk. "Seriously though. 14 is just overkill."

"I was just trying to make sure you weren't late for your first day my man! I wouldn't have sent you all those messages if you just answered immediately. You only did answer right before I was going to send Number 15 anyway. . . Technically, this is on you." Hizashi replied with an unapologetic grin as he pointed in his direction.

Sometimes Shouta really wondered how they ended up being best friends despite their clashing personalities.

"How long do you think this 'welcome ceremony' is supposed to last anyway?"

"When is it supposed to start again?"

"8:30 on the dot. That's what the letter said." said Hizashi before pulling his acceptance letter out of his jacket pocket to recheck the info.

"That's still one minute too long."

"Really Shouta?!"

"What?" the teen grumbled as he looked up at his blonde friend. "You know I'm not a fan of these kinds of things. Why waste our time making us sit and listen to a whole bunch of spiel you know they recycle every year with each new class, when we could already be upstairs trying to get this day over with?"

"You really want to crawl back into bed already don't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Aizawa's sarcasm was thick as the lights began to darken. "Oh, I guess they're starting now."

". . . Just sleep for now killjoy! I'll wake you up when it's over and tell you everything afterward," Hizashi suggested as he turned to face the stage. It was moments like these where Shouta appreciated that Hizashi was his best friend. "But I'm warning you now: if one of the staff members calls you out for sleeping, I'm gonna pretend we don't know each other."

"Deal!" Aizawa mumbled before slamming his head into the desk, his hair somehow cushioning the hit. He was quick to fall into a deep sleep, enjoying his temporary rest till he felt his shoulder being forcibly shaken. When he groggily looked up, Hizashi was looking down at him with a smirk on his face as students all around them were leaving, likely heading to their classrooms. "What'd I miss?"

"Not much. Same old, same old . . . Just like you predicted oh Sleepy One," he said with a shrug as the two made their exit. "However, the principal did say the school was doing something different this year for us first years."

"What is it?"

"Apparently, the staff managed to convince some of the upperclassmen to sign up to serve as mentors for us. There's supposed to be one assigned to each class."

"How nice . . ." Aizawa mumbled as the two made their way to homeroom. When they finally reached the room for Class 1-A, both took a second to look up at the huge door that stood in front of them; it had to be at least three times the size of a standard regulation one.

"Damn, the students that must have walked through here before us must have been _huuuuuge_!" Hizashi whistled as Shouta went ahead, simply so he could find his desk quick enough to get some more z's before the teacher came in. The room was already packed with the rest of their classmates when he opened the door, most of them chatting with those seated closest to them.

There were only two empty seats available, the last ones of the two rows in the middle. Shouta was assigned the seat on the right while Hizashi sat on his left, and while Hizashi was quick to strike up a conversation with the raven-haired girl on his left, Aizawa put his backpack on his desk, dropped his head onto it, and tried to tune out the world.

" _This should be an interesting three years. . ."_ he thought, waiting for sleep to come whisk him away. From what he saw so far, his class was an eclectic bunch, with some there for noble reasons while others were more in it for the fame and riches.

He was quick to not like those guys.

Aizawa was never a fan of the heroes that actively sought the spotlight. He thought they were just being openly vain with themselves and gave a bad name to what it truly meant to be a hero in the first place. It was people like them that influenced his _very_ cynical attitude on that front.

However, there was a bright side to the dislike. It led Aizawa to realize that he was much more of an in-the-shadows kind of guy, seeing himself in the future as one of those underground heroes that worked more in the background and actively shunned the media's attention.

Yeah, that was a life he was fine with living.

 _Swoosh-SNAP_

The loud sound startled Shouta out of his musings, and he sat up in time to see his teacher, a middle-aged woman in a dark green bodysuit, with a matching domino mask, black boots and black gloves, step into the room. Her dark green eyes scanned the now-quiet room slowly, making sure nothing was out of place before stepping to the podium.

"Good morning everyone! I'm your teacher, Ms. Takabana, and if some of you guys have seen me on TV, then you know me by my hero name: The Tree Hero: Arbor Girl. It's a pleasure to meet you all . . . Now then, before I get into the usual speech about how U.A. High will shape you as individuals and as heroes during your time here and all the other good stuff, there's someone I would like you all to meet. Come on in please!"

Everyone's eyes turned to see the door sliding open to reveal the latest arrival, the quiet room somehow getting quieter as they did. From awe or wariness or some other emotion, no one could really guess.

"Shouta, I think we lucked out this year on the mentor lottery . . ." Hizashi excitedly whispered as he tried to keep his eyes from going up and down the girl's body. "She's a hottie! Don't you agree?!"

Aizawa just kept quiet, watching as the new girl stepped into the room and slid the door closed behind her. Internally, he was agreeing with Hizashi. She was hot, but he wouldn't describe her as just that.

To him, she was . . . well, _breathtakingly beautiful_. He wouldn't admit it though, and you couldn't tell he was thinking it by looking at the bored expression he had on his face, but he was definitely thinking it.

The girl had long whitish-blonde hair with a light red streak running down the left side of her face, dark red eyes set in a poignant glare that reminded him of garnets, and a body that looked willowy lean at first glance, but people with better eyes knew that it was a tone, limber one that was possibly capable of many feats of combat. She was tall enough, probably 5'8, and walked with a confidence that screamed " _I look dainty, but I'll fuck you up if you try me_!"

It wasn't just her physical appearance that intrigued Aizawa though. It was the aura she possessed. It was strong, dark, and it gave her a mysteriousness that the most aloof of people wished they had. (It was actually making Shouta a little jealous.) In a way, it was as if she was subtly warning people that there was something hidden underneath the pretty face, and for all Aizawa knew, that may very well be the case.

All he knew for certain was that this girl was the first person to intrigue him so thoroughly since Yamada befriended him back in middle school.

"I'm sure you all remember the principal telling you all about how this year, each freshman class is going to have an upperclassman as a mentor. Kinda like a big brother, big sister kinda thing."

Shota didn't remember it since he slept through it all, but he nodded like everyone else.

"Well, here's your big sister everyone!" Takabana-sensei replied with a cheerfulness that surprised a few in the room. "She'll be joining you during every homeroom hour as well as some of your hero classes on certain afternoons. . . The floor is yours Shizuna."

"Thank you, Takabana-sensei!"

"Oh kami, even her voice is hot!" Hizashi cried out, unable to stop himself from commenting on the husky smoothness that was Shizuna's voice.

Aizawa could only wince as he heard his friend slap his hand over his mouth, realizing too late that he had said that line out loud. A few - mainly the girls - laughed at his expense, but most managed to stay silent, either because they silently agreed with Hizashi, or because they were still staring at Shizuna with varying awed, love struck, and puppy dog looks on their faces.

And yeah, she noticed the faces, but her face was so stoic that Shouta couldn't tell how she really felt about them, which was putting him a little on edge.

Not in an ' _I'm in some kind of danger and I need to run_ ' kind of way; more like a ' _I'm nervous because I'm in the presence of a beautiful girl who could likely kick my ass_ ' kind of way.

"To the blonde kid wearing the sunglasses in the back that said that, I appreciate the compliment. However, if you want to make sure no eyes are suddenly on you because you believe you just said something embarrassing, my advice? Keep them opinions locked up tight! Don't let them slip from your noggin okay?" she said, pointing to her head like she was pointing a gun. "Got it?"

"Advice noted!" Hizashi called with a nod. He quickly took a notepad out of his backpack, scribbled down a few words, and showed them to Shouta, who frowned before turning away.

"' _At least she talked to me'. . . Really Hizashi?"_ Aizawa thought, really wishing he had a telepathy quirk right now, just so he could yell at his sometimes-insufferable best friend.

"Anyway, hello everyone! My name is Shizuna Onizaki. I'm a second-year student, and your mentor for the year. It's nice to meet you all!"

Her last name gave everyone pause, and if it weren't for Takabana-sensei giving them all a stern glare, the room would have exploded into a whisper fit. The Onizakis were one of the most prominent hero families in Japan, right up there with the Todoroki and Yaoyorozu Clans. As of now, the heiress of the Onizaki family was already making a name for herself in the hero business, complete with a budding rivalry with the new head of the Todorokis.

However, their Quirk history was quite different compared to the other two clans. While the Todorokis were known for their fire and the Yaoyorozus were known for creating anything they set their mind too (with practice of course), the Onizakis were known for their more hybrid-like nature.

In the beginning of the clan's history, the first clan head had a powerful water quirk, while his bride had a powerful transformation quirk. Usually when a quirked couple got married, either the stronger of their two quirks was passed down to the next generation in a stronger form, or the resulting quirk was a combination of the two, but it wasn't the case for them. Both their quirks were very dominant in nature, which led to their resulting children either inheriting a version of their mom's quirk or their dad's. No one would inherit both until their third daughter revealed that she did four years after she was born.

The Onizakis were also notable (sometimes notorious) for marrying people whose quirks were based on one of the elements, and as time went on, members of the family would inherit either a variant of an element, transformation, or a mixture of both. Hybrids were a rarity in the family though, with one not being born in the clan for the past three generations.

"Judging from the looks I'm getting, I see that you're all quite familiar with my family name. Just because it's the first day and I want to be nice, I'll end the suspense for you now. No, I don't have an element quirk like my older sisters do. I'm part of the family that inherited a form of our noted transformation quirk. However, I don't use it much if I can help it. . . You're more likely to see me use hand-to-hand or my trusty katana before I actually do."

And Aizawa was intrigued a little more . . . still didn't show it though.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, why don't you use your quirk that much?" a brunette boy with shark-like teeth asked from the first row.

"Because I'm not a fan of using my quirk right from the beginning, like how most of the heroes today do these days," Shizuna replied as she crossed her arms. "I believe that the more times you use your quirk, the more times villains can see it. Thus, giving them more of an opportunity to counter them or figure out some way to overcome them. . . If I see that the situation doesn't need the use of a quirk to solve it, then I won't use mine. If the situation becomes direr, then I'll use it, but until that time comes, I'm fighting with either my hands or a blade."

" _That's some decent judgement right there."_ Aizawa thought, feeling a newfound respect build for the older girl. He was also one of the few who thought there was too much of an increase of heroes overusing their quirks. They were becoming overspecialized on that front, neglecting to hone up on other skills that would help them in battle, or figure out ways to ensure that the villain couldn't counter their quirk. Granted, Aizawa knew he would have to hone his hand-to-hand combat skills as well simply out of _pure necessity_ , but still, it was nice to see that there was someone else on his wavelength.

"Hmm, what she just said . . . It reminds me of someone I know." Hizashi whispered Aizawa's way, his glare poignant despite the sunglasses he wore. Shouta ignored him, preferring to pay attention to the girl as she continued her speech. It was the first time in a long time he really paid attention in class, somehow staying awake for the entirety of homeroom. When she left once the hour was up, he was a tad upset to see her go, but knowing that she was coming back tomorrow, well . . . he was looking forward to it.

"So, what do you think of her?" Hizashi asked, whispering low so Takabana-sensei couldn't hear him. "I think she's hot."

"Of course, you would say that. You were the one that admitted her voice was hot for the entire class to hear after all," Aizawa mumbled. "To be honest, I think she's actually one of the more reasonable people we'll ever find in this school."

". . . Yeah, you think she's hot too."

"I never said that!"

"No, but you were at least thinking it," Hizashi countered with an even bigger grin. "For crying out loud, I haven't seen you this wide awake in class since Health last year!"

"Don't remind me. I'm still trying to wipe that out of my memory," Aizawa grumbled as the history teacher, an older gentleman with a well-trimmed handlebar moustache dressed in a suit that reminded him of a penguin, walked in with some books tucked under his arm. "I can still hear the baby's screams."

"Sorry, but still. It's been a long while since I've seen you so interested in class Shouta. You ok?"

"I'm fine." Aizawa bluntly stated as he looked forward, now feeling tired again all of a sudden. He had to admit that Hizashi had a point. It had been a while since he was so awake in school, but he would never admit that Shizuna peaked his interest, simply because Hizashi would rib him about it for the rest of their high school lives, and probably their hero lives too. He would simply keep that tidbit to himself, his own personal secret.

* * *

 _ **Present: One month before the U.A. Entrance Exam**_

The U.A. High School staff room was quiet, with teachers not on duty catching up on work, updating lesson plans, or simply enjoying the reprieve they earned before having to go back to their respective classes. One teacher that didn't have to do any of those things was the now 30-year-old Shouta Aizawa, now known as Eraser Head.

Becoming the Erasure Hero soon after graduating from U.A, Aizawa eventually garnered a reputation as one of the top underground heroes in the country. However, it seemed he could never escape his high school for long, with a teaching offer eventually coming his way after just a few years of hero work. He had planned to decline it, but thanks to some convincing by Hizashi and Nemuri - who were both offered and accepted teaching positions as well - he decided to accept. Aizawa never thought he would like the gig, but after a while, the job grew on him, and he never had any thoughts of leaving it since his first few months. . . .

. . . Well, not any long-standing ones at least.

"MORNING SHOUTA!"

Aizawa looked up from the cup of coffee he was mulling over to see Hizashi - who most of the public now knew as the Voice Hero: Present Mic - walking in with a big grin on his face and a book in hand. Shouta simply nodded as he went back to his drink, his face half covered by the gray scarf he always wore around his neck.

It was both his comfort and his weapon.

"Still thinking over your lesson plans for your next set of first years?" Mic asked as he plopped down in the seat across from his longtime friend.

"Why should I since I never used my last set in the first place?"

"You mean the ones you created for your last class? The class you _**expelled**_ after one day because they didn't meet your notoriously high standards?"

"Exactly; none of those kids proved that they had what it took to be a hero. Most of them were in it for the money anyway," Shouta grumbled as he finished the last of his cup. "Those plans are practically brand new. I'll use those, with some alteration here and there if this new batch of students prove to be worth it."

"How can you be so justified, yet so cruel at the same time?"

"It's a gift," Shouta mumbled as the school's resident 18+ hero walked into the room. "Let's just hope this new batch isn't a pain in my ass like the last set. I honestly don't want to break my record this year."

"Give those guys a chance first before you start dragging them down. Who knows? Maybe this year you'll finally have a breakthrough and won't have to expel anyone this time around." Hizashi advised as Midnight sat beside him. "Hey Nemuri! Had a good night?"

"You know it!" she told him with an excited grin that was bordering on scandalous. She was one of the more provocative heroes out there at the moment, and she _reveled_ in it, much to everyone's chagrin. "Anyway, have you heard the news about the new staff members joining the crew?"

"We're getting new staff members?" Present Mic asked, looking absolutely shocked. Midnight looked genuinely amazed at Mic's lack of awareness while Aizawa simply shook his head. He knew his friend was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for, but sometimes Mic had his moments.

" _Looks like he didn't read his email, again."_ Aizawa thought to himself as he threw his cup into the trash. "According to Nezu, he hired two new teachers for the new semester. One's supposed to handle the Foundational Hero Studies course while the other is gonna handle both World History and our new Combat Skills & Pragmatism class. We're supposed to meet them today Hizashi."

"Combat Skills & Pragmatism . . . Sounds like your kind of thing Aizawa," Midnight commented as she crossed her arms over her voluptuous chest. Shouta nodded but didn't say anything. "I figured out of all the classes you could teach here, Nezu would have asked for you to teach that one. Did you even ask about it?"

"I actually did, but he told me he found someone else for the job." Aizawa mumbled, surprisingly sounding a little miffed as he reminisced on the old memory.

He thought Nezu had the right idea with adding the new course. Most villains weren't the honorable sort, usually resorting to prior knowledge and dirty tactics to get their way, and heroes couldn't always rely on just their quirks alone to get them through the fight.

The new course was gonna supply the students with ways to combat those issues, and Aizawa thought it was a good course that he could teach. He was willing to volunteer himself for the position, but when he brought up the idea to the rat-bear creature during a one-on-one meeting a few weeks ago, Nezu flat out declined him.

" _I wouldn't want to distract you from your usual work with the students Mr. Aizawa. Besides, I've already found a suitable candidate for the position_ _\- someone that you've met before actually -_ _and she's already agreed to the job. . . . Sorry."_

Honestly, Aizawa thought the denial was punishment for expelling his last class. He knew his decision didn't have everyone's approval, but if he was given the chance to teach that same class again, he wouldn't have changed a thing.

"Aw, that's too bad. I'm sure you would have been a badass teaching it," Midnight complimented, her shoulders going up in the smallest of shrugs. "What did he say exactly?"

"That he didn't want to distract me from my usual work with the students, and that the person he picked is someone that I've met before apparently." said the Erasure Hero as he looked up at the ceiling. "I'm still thinking it over, trying to figure out who I met before that would fit the Combat Skills course."

"I already got a prime candidate!" said Hizashi with a smirk. "What about Onizaki? Our old mentor when we first started here as students? She would fit the position well . . ."

"That's true," said Shouta, his face getting a little heated as he looked back on his high school days. Shizuna had been his class' student mentor up until she graduated at the end of his second year, and she had become a person that he grew to personally admire and respect over that time.

" _Plus, she was a cute, beautiful girl that could knock an opponent to his ass with ease and knew her way around a sword. What's not to like about that?"_ Shouta absently thought, quickly tucking his chin back into his scarf before Hizashi or Nemuri could notice his burning face.

Ok, so maybe Shouta was as human as most of the guys in his class were and developed a crush on Shizuna, but he always swore that it was a tiny one. Still, he would find himself thinking about her from time to time, though he hasn't heard much about her since she graduated.

Last he heard of Shizuna Onizaki, she was doing hero work down in Australia, over in Sydney if he remembered correctly, but that was years ago.

"It's probably not her though," he mumbled, though a tiny part of him wished it was. "Onizaki mostly works out of the country anyway."

"That is a good point. However, she could have always come back to accept the position. You can't push that idea aside that easy," Midnight teased as she wagged a finger. "Her takedowns were always the best, especially when she did them on good ol' Mic here."

"Don't remind me. I always ended up with a sore back afterwards," grumbled the blonde as he reached for his back, as if it was actually painful for him to rehash the memory. "Eh, anyway, it's probably for the best you're not teaching the Combat Skills course anyway Shouta. . . You would have fallen asleep halfway through anyway."

Aizawa knew Hizashi was joking, but it still didn't stop his urge to wrap his friend up in his combat scarf and throw him into a trash bin, or out the window. He had just come up with a witty retort when the door opening caught his attention. Principal Nezu walked in with a smile on his cute face, but it was the man behind him that gave him, and everyone else in the room, pause.

The man was simply that unmistakable.

"No way! ALL MIGHT!?" Hizashi screamed as he jumped up out of his seat, almost using his quirk to shout out his fellow blonde's name. To his credit, All Might looked _bashful_ from all the attention he was getting, even scratching the back of his neck in newfound embarrassment. "Are you one of the new teachers?!"

"That's correct!" Nezu answered for him. "Mr. Yagi here has agreed to take up the position as our new Foundational Hero Studies teacher."

"Mr. Yagi?" Midnight asked as All Might suddenly erupted into a puff of smoke, revealing his more skeletal looking form. Most in the room were already told about his current health predicament due to his last battle with the dreaded All for One. Thanks to Nezu and Recovery Girl, the resident school nurse, the staff knew most of the details about that battle, or at least as much as All Might wanted them to know, but most in the room were only now seeing the Symbol of Peace's true form for the very first time, and some were quite shook about it.

Hizashi practically had his jaw on the floor!

Aizawa was the only one that didn't look fazed by All Might's sudden turn, but you couldn't really tell due to half his face hiding behind his scarf. From reading the details of the battle, he theorized that something drastic must have possibly happened to him that would affect him for the long term, but he never realized it would be _this drastic_. "Is that a part of your real name?"

"Yes, actually. Toshinori Yagi is my actual name, but I guess I've gone by All Might for so long, that most people know me by my hero name rather than my real one, even the ones I've managed to call friends over the years," he calmly explained as he scratched his cheek. "Feel free to call me Toshinori if you like."

" _I have a good feeling that I never will. It just seems weird to me. . . And hold up, when did he even get a teaching license? Considering how busy h_ _e can be, when did even have the time for it?_ _"_ Aizawa thought to himself as Hizashi finally picked back up his jaw. "So, is this . . . well, the real you?"

"Ever since my clash with All for One? Yes." Toshinori explained, his voice turning somber. "I could still go into my Muscle Form easily enough, but I work with a pretty strict limit now. Gotta use my powers much more wisely these days."

"Mr. Yagi here is pretty much a rookie when it comes to teaching, but I know he'll get the hang of it once the new semester is in full swing, and I hope you all will help him out if the need arises," Principal Nezu calmly stated as footsteps could be heard coming up the hallway. "As for our new World History and Combat Skills & Pragmatism teacher, she comes to us with a wealth of knowledge on both subjects, having taught varying versions of both subjects during her short stints in the U.S and Europe. She's not a major media darling like All Might here - then again, who is? - but she should be quite familiar with some of you guys, especially her family name. . . Actually, she was a student here around the same time some of you teachers were."

"Really?! Who?!"

"Patience Hizashi. You can ask her yourself," said Nezu as he turned to look at the door, where the shadow of the figure was patiently waiting. "Come on in Ms. Onizaki!"

" _Onizaki?"_ Aizawa thought, his eyes widening in disbelief as he looked to Hizashi, who was watching him with the same look on his face though his face seemed a lot more smug, as if he knew that his prediction was just about to come true. _"Then does that mean . . . It can_ _'t be?!_ _"_

Aizawa didn't finish his thought as he watched the door open, the sight of the woman confirming his suspicions, and making his heartbeat start to ring in his ears. She was taller than when he last saw her, probably now an inch shorter than his 6'0 frame. The light red streak was gone from her now waist length white-blonde hair and her frame looked as lean and willowy as ever.

She was dressed in her hero outfit: a dark red kimono top with billowy sleeves with a black undershirt with a turtleneck peeking out to cover her neck, a matching black sash cinched around her waist, tight black pants that hugged her every curve, and matching heeled boots that put her a couple inches taller than Aizawa. She wore fingerless black gloves that ran all the way up to her elbows when uncovered, a square garnet pendant around her neck, and kept a katana in a black sheath patterned with red leaves strapped to her side. Familiar dark red eyes looked around the room, her lips stretching into a smile when she spotted some familiar faces in the group.

Aizawa watched her as her eyes went from person to person, trying to keep his gaze leveled while trying to ignore his heartbeat ringing in his ears. He hadn't seen this girl, no, this _woman_ , since the day before her graduation when she bid her formal goodbye to his class. He hadn't seen much of her since that day, since she constantly split most of her time between continents on hero business.

And now here she was, a few feet away from him . . . as his new CO-WORKER!

"Hello! It's nice to see you all, especially some of the familiar faces I recognize here today. We need to catch up. It's been years hasn't it?" Shizuna Onizaki said with a smile that would make weak men's legs even weaker.

"It really has been too long Shizuna-san," said Nemuri with an ecstatic grin, Hizashi shaking his head ridiculously fast in agreement. "Welcome back!"

"It's good to be back," she told her before her eyes finally landed on Shouta, the act sending a shiver down his spine. "It's good to see you again Shouta."

"Nice to see you too Onizaki." said Shouta, his voice as leveled as can be, but the rest of him was not. As Hizashi liked to say, he was _shook_ , right down to his very core. You couldn't really tell though, since he developed the expert ability of maintaining a poker face, even when he was a freaking mess on the inside.

Shizuna just seemed to have an effect on him, even after all these years.

" _Sheesh, I guess_ _this_ _really will be an interesting year. . . ."_

He has no idea.

 **A/N: And there you have it, the groundwork for the AizawaXOC portion of the story. Chapter** **O** **ne will start us off with the Todorokis and the Onizakis as the day of the U.A. entrance exam arrives, with a bit of their history thrown into the mix. See you then!**

 **Also, if you spot any grammar and spelling mistakes in here, please let me know in the reviews!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Hope to see you next chapter! Sandsnake** **Q** **ueen out!**


	2. Meeting Up

**Welcome to Chapter 1 everyone!**

 **As you have just previously read, t** **he prologue was all about Aizawa meeting an old blast from his past for the first time in year** **s** **, much to his comp** **lete - and I mean** _ **complete**_ **-** **surprise.**

 **So, for this chapter, as I promised in the last one, we're focusing on the Todorokis and my OCs, the Onizakis.**

 **Now then, without further ado, let's start the ball rolling with our favorite** **heterochromatic** **hybrid, shall we?**

* * *

 **Chapter 1** \- Meeting Up

The morning was quiet as the sun started appearing over the horizon, the neighborhoods under its light starting to come alive with activity. One home, a large traditional manor that looked like it was something out of a magazine, was eerily silent, save for the lone white-haired teenager walking through its halls.

The tall, stocky youth was like a walking zombie, his eyes half open as he fought back the loud yawn that threatened to escape his throat. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he came to his destination with a little more alertness on his face, tapping the shoji paneling to get the attention of the occupant inside.

"Shouto...? Yo little bro?! You awake in there?"

The voice of Natsuo Todoroki echoed through the hallway as he stood in front of his younger brother's bedroom door. His face was the picture of tired curiosity as he waited for his sibling's response, which shouldn't take too long.

He knew that Shouto had developed a habit of waking up right at daybreak thanks to their father and his _methods_ , but twenty minutes has passed since the sun came up and he still hadn't emerged from his room.

Natsuo had just made up his mind to barge into said room - ready to pull his sibling out of his bed if he had to, quirk be damned - when the shoji doors finally slid open, much to his sudden relief. Shouto, now standing before him, was already dressed in his black school uniform, his face stoic as he held his bag over his shoulder.

"Huh? You're awake after all . . . Well, there goes my plan."

"What plan?" Shouto immediately asked, his expression never changing.

"Well, if you were still sleeping, I would have done what any caring older brother would do in my position. I would have either pulled you out of bed or splashed you with water until you woke up."

"And, for some reason, you thought that was a good plan?" the dual-haired teen asked as the two started walking down the hallway.

"Yeah . . . Can't a guy dream?" Natsuo asked, slumping in defeat as a sheepish look came across his face. He was hoping to get the benefit of the doubt, but Shouto wasn't amused, not by a long shot. "Anyway, what was taking you so long in there? You're usually up and out of your room earlier than this, even when dear old dad hasn't scheduled you for early morning training. . . Don't tell me you're actually nervous over your _big exam_ later?"

"I'm not nervous." Shouto calmly answered as he continued to look ahead. "But I was thinking about the recommendation exam. I guess I lost track of time."

"Don't worry about it little bro. I'm sure you'll ace it! How could you not? With a quirk like yours, I'm shocked that U.A. didn't just grant you admission already."

"I highly doubt the system works like that."

"I was using sarcasm on that one dear brother. It's a nice concept that you should learn more about, but yeah, I guess you're right. Places as prestigious as U.A must treat everyone equally, regardless of how powerful their quirk is, or how notable your parent is . . . I guess being the son of Japan's second-best hero doesn't give you every advantage in the world huh?"

Shouto didn't miss the disdain he heard in Natsuo's voice when he mentioned one of their father's known titles, a title he has had for as long as Shouto has been alive at least. It was the one that the Flame Hero scorned in private, simply because it served as a reminder of how far behind he was from the current Number One.

Endeavor was undoubtedly as prideful as he was ambitious, with a drive to surpass All Might unlike any other. His desire to beat the smiling strongman was a huge reason why Shouto and his siblings were born in the first place, or 'created', if you asked the man himself. He wanted his "masterpiece", the one child that he knew could surpass All Might if he decidedly couldn't do it himself, someone who's quirk was a perfect combination of his parents' own.

And finally, Shouto was born.

He was his father's golden child.

He was the 'masterpiece' Endeavor wanted.

And it was a position that Shouto grew to hate.

The mere thought of his father soured the teen's already cold mood immediately. Natsuo noticed the quickening of his brother's pace and quickly gave chase, cursing himself for mentioning their father in the first place as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Yeah, I knew I shouldn't have mentioned that asshole, especially this early in the morning." The white-haired teen mumbled as he followed Shouto into the empty room. He couldn't help but smirk as his brother's eyes zeroed in on the bento boxes waiting for them on the counter.

Their sister Fuyumi had to rush out earlier to get to a staff meeting, but she still managed to whip them up some lunch before she left. It was her sisterly of way of having their back, and though neither really outright expressed it, the two brothers sincerely appreciated the daily gesture. "Sorry for ruining your day before it even began."

Shouto looked up from the boxes to see his brother's remorseful expression, and his own face softened a tiny bit. He wasn't angry at his brother, not by a long shot. He understood where his brother was coming from. They had all suffered from their father's toxic ambitions: the forced separation between siblings, their older brother's disappearance years ago, their mother being sent away . . .

If it wasn't for their father's need to be the best, then maybe they would have grown up in a healthy home with everyone together under one roof . . .

. . . Like a normal family, just with heroes.

Instead, they lived under a prideful tyrant who fractured their lives in more ways than one.

"Don't worry about it," Shouto finally said as he picked up a box. It was wrapped in a blue cloth with white polka dots on it, complete with a note written in their sister's familiar script. "Now, if you excuse me. I'm going to leave before Father wakes up. . . If you want to avoid him, you should too. I'm sure your voice will thank you for it."

"Hey! While being cold, aloof, and outright denying the half of your quirk you inherited from him is your way of getting back at the old man, getting into loud, obnoxious shouting matches with him is mine. You gotta do what you can to fight back right...? Oh, and before I forget, tell Daisuke and Yukino hi and good luck for me alright?!"

Shouto nodded before leaving with a simple wave. Once he had his sneakers on, he slipped out the door and out the gate of his home, a multi-story structure that was a prime example of classic Japanese architecture. It was like the many other homes within the surrounding neighborhood he lived in, but since a top ten pro-hero lived there, there were 'quirky' aspects about it that made it unique compared to all the others.

He spared his home one last glance before proceeding down the street. The trek to the train station was a long one, one that brought him into the part of the neighborhood that featured the more modern homes. When he turned the corner, his pace lessened when he spotted the familiar brick and wrought iron gate standing across the street. It surrounded a multi-story blue and white manor that was a mix of classic Japanese and modern design. It was a combination that fit in well with the rest of the neighborhood without looking too out there, but the house wasn't what the Todoroki scion was truly focusing on.

His dark grey and turquoise eyes were on the girl who was leaning beside the open front gate. She was dressed in a uniform identical to the one he wore, her backpack leaning against the wall beside her. Her snow-white hair was plaited down her right shoulder in a tight braid, stopping a little past her slender hips.

Shouto's interest was directed at what she was doing, however. Her hand was raised, her pointer finger moving in a circular motion, directing the water - which was small enough to fit into a bottle cap - to move with the action. When her finger stilled, the water stopped, freezing in place until it was a solid ice cube, but when she moved it again, the ice was water once more, continuing its loopy path.

The dual-haired teen watched her continue the pattern a few more times before making a move. He tapped his foot onto the pavement, forming some ice that surrounded his shoe, before sending the ice down a path that was only an inch thick in width, stopping it when it was tapping against her sneaker. It was enough to get her attention, and when she looked up, gray and turquoise met violet.

"Good morning to you too Shouto," said the girl, raising her free hand right to face the path, turning it into water with a quick flick of her wrist. "The ice trail's a new one. You usually chuck an ice cube to get my attention."

"I figured I'd give you a break today Yukino." he told her as he crossed the street.

"You're only saying that because you nailed me in the forehead with one just yesterday!"

"I gave you advanced warning before I did. You had plenty of time to either dodge or deflect it. . . Now whose fault is that?"

"Fair point, but the ice cube to the head - _directly to the head_ , might I add - was still uncalled for Shouto, and you know it!"

"And for that I apologize . . ."

"And I accept your apology. It should have come yesterday right after you did the act, but that's me being nitpicky I guess."

Shouto almost smirked at that one, keeping his face as neutral as possible as his friend smiled at him. Shouto knew that if Yukino was a more temperamental person, she would have chucked her own ice cube at him just to spite him. However, growing up with her as one of his closest - and _only_ \- friends has led him to realize that she was nothing of the sort. For as long as he has known her, nothing seemed to piss Yukino Onizaki off to the point that she would react badly, and Natsuo and her twin brother have occasionally tried to figure out what her breaking point was, to no avail.

Natsuo had once equated her temperament to a very chill iceberg: still and steady most of the time, but one false move could spell your doom.

Shouto never joined in on their antics, mainly because he thought it was foolish, and because he didn't want to poke the proverbial bear himself. Yukino was naturally a cool and calm individual, a true embodiment of the element she could control as part of her quirk. She was someone who was reliable when it came to lending an ear for a verbal detox, and for him specifically, she was a merciful reprieve from the hell his father would put him through when he was home, as well as a good reference point when it came to social situations.

The boy was rather hopeless in social situations.

Sure, she could be a little harsh herself at times, but only when it was really justified.

He was not dumb enough to ruin such a good thing, and thanks to a personal vow he made after he witnessed Yukino's rage firsthand after her brother pissed her off in third grade, he would never venture to do so.

"Is your brother still inside?"

"Yeah; he should be out any minute now though," Yukino mumbled as she turned her ice cube into mist, letting it fall onto a few flowers just inside the gate. "So, you ready for the entrance exam later?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Yukino had grown used to Shouto's stoic way of speaking, but this time around, she didn't miss the slight edge he held in his voice. It was tense, as if he was reminded of something that he didn't want to be reminded of, and there was usually one person who could cause this response from him.

"Something wrong?" she asked, her tone calm, yet leaving no room for argument. "You sounded a little off there."

"I usually expect that question from your brother, not you."

"True. His habit for figuring something's wrong due to the way someone speaks has been rubbing off on me I guess," the Onizaki mumbled as she crossed her arms, sarcasm lacing her tone. "Still, the fact that you didn't say no is already telling. . . Let me guess, what's bothering you revolves around 'he who must not be named', isn't it?"

" _I really can't get things by your inquisitive head sometimes."_ Todoroki thought as she awaited his answer. Yukino and her family were some of the few who knew that Endeavor was just as off-putting on a personal level as he was on a professional one due to the connection he has to Yukino's parents, particularly her mom, though they had no idea how _off-putting_ in private he could be.

However, that didn't deter them from getting to know the rest of the family, which led to a very strong and amicable relationship among the children of the two clans, especially between Shouto and the Onizaki twins.

"You know, it is okay for you to say my father's actual name if you want to."

"I would, but every time in the past I've said it when you're within hearing range, you always seem to do a little flinch with your eyes, as if you're just _disturbed_ by it . . . It's not really noticeable if you're not looking for it." Yukino mumbled as she picked up her bag. "If I said it right now, you would just flinch again."

"No, I wouldn't."

"Yes, you would."

"No, I wouldn't."

"You're willing to test that?"

"In this instance, yes."

"Endeavor"

 _*Eye flinch*_

"You just did it right now! I saw!"

"Don't worry. I'm not going to fight you on this one . . . I felt myself do it." Shouto mumbled, a little irritated at himself for having such a tic. "How long have you noticed it anyway?"

"Ever since you came over that night with the bandage wrapped around your eye."

Todoroki simply nodded, remembering that night well.

It was a week after his father had his mother sent away, right after the 'boiling teapot' incident. Despite the injury, Endeavor had increased Shouto's training instead of lessening it, working his youngest child to the point of exhaustion, and vomiting on some days when the training truly got too rough.

One night, fed up with his treatment, he ran out of the house, wanting to get away from it all.

He barely got three blocks down the street before he ran into Yukino's mother as she was heading home after finishing her pro-hero duties for the night. When her eyes saw the bandage covering his eye, she immediately wanted to know what happened, but Shouto wouldn't give her an answer.

He didn't want to admit that it was his own mother who burned him.

Despite knowing that behind her naturally cold-looking exterior was a gentle soul at heart, on that day, Shouto feared that Yukiko Onizaki would get the wrong idea about his mother, and he didn't want that. He knew that she knew his mother to be a caring, thoughtful woman, and he wanted to keep it that way.

He didn't want Mrs. Onizaki to see her as a shattered soul that was driven to hurt her own son because of something he couldn't help.

So, he remained silent throughout the questioning, and the ice woman eventually conceded, resigned to let him tell her when he was good and ready, if he ever was. She ended up letting him rest at her home for most of that night, his arrival shocking the twins when they saw his face. Mrs. Onizaki eventually brought him back home the next morning, early enough that no one inside would notice that he even left in the first place.

Shouto could still remember how conflicted the woman looked when she brought him back to his home that morning. He suspected that she figured his injury was somehow Endeavor's fault, but because he wouldn't talk, she couldn't really do anything about it, and he knew she could confront him if she wanted to.

Considering she was the current Number Three hero and his father's most powerful opposite in terms of quirks, it wasn't that hard to imagine it.

Shouto would sometimes worry that the older woman would hold his lack of information against him, but she still treated him normally, and even considered him and his siblings part of the family. When he finally had enough courage to talk to her about that night a few months later, he could never get what she said to him out of his head.

" _The reason why you kept silent that night is yours, and yours alone Shouto. You did not want to speak that night, and I respect your decision, regardless of how much my motherly side makes me disagree with it . . . I'm not going to push you into something you don't want to do. I believe you get enough of that from your father already. You're probably still not comfortable talking to people about it anyway. If that's the case, I understand, but just so you know, you're not him. You are your own person, regardless of who tells you otherwise_ _, and there are people around you that are willing to listen if you give them a chance. . ._ _It's best you remember that."_

He was stunned into silence, unable to respond to her thoughtful words, but his respect for his fellow ice quirk user grew considerably after that day.

"Have you always been this observant?" Todoroki asked after finally pushing aside his mental musings.

"Only when there's something that gets my attention."

Shouto was going to question her on that when the sound of footsteps reached his ears. When he looked up, his heterochromatic eyes were looking up into light blue ones. The new arrival was dressed in a uniform identical to the ones that Yukino and him were wearing, save for the three undone buttons of his shirt. One strap of his backpack was hiked over his shoulder as his free hand kept strands of his light blue hair from falling into his eyes. He was taller than either of them, 6'0 at best, but his height, or his hair for that matter, wasn't the most striking thing about him.

The two cat ears poking out from either side of his head were, and they were as blue as his eyes and hair.

"What took you so long Daisuke?" Yukino mumbled as she looked up at her twin. "I was this close to suggesting to Shouto that we should walk on ahead without you."

"Okay, rude, and sorry, I had to make sure Nami would stay put before I left. That cat is getting way too clingy for her own good." he mumbled as he pulled a hair tie out of his pocket.

"That would explain the claw marks on your sleeve." Shouto pointed out as he looked at said marks on his jacket.

"Yeah, don't remind me. Ma helped pull Nami off, and well, it definitely wasn't the most delicate of procedures," Daisuke mumbled as he quickly tied up half his hair into a messy bun, letting the rest fall down his back. "Thanks for trying Ma!"

Shouto and Yukino looked up to see the tired looking Yukiko Onizaki walking up to them, dressed simply in a green t-shirt and gray sweatpants, her lavender hair plaited in a messy braid that went down to her hip. It was such a disarming look compared to her usual hero get-up, but it goes to show just how normal heroes can be when they were out of the spotlight.

"I tried my best Daisuke!" said the older woman as she finally reached the trio, not looking remotely fazed by the cool wind that was blowing their way. Despite the different hair and eye color, Yukino looked very much like her mother from a facial perspective, from the chiseled cheekbones to the pointy nose. It also helped that despite being in her mid-forties, she didn't look older than thirty. However, her height was the same as her son's, making her taller than Todoroki as well.

When her gaze found Shouto's, her face relaxed even further. "Good morning Shouto. How is your family doing?"

"They're doing fine. Thanks for asking Mrs. Onizaki," the dual haired teen easily replied. "And you?"

"Currently: trying to get as much sleep as I possibly can before I have to go back to work. Being a hero is rewarding and all, but it seriously hurts my sleep schedule at times."

"Then shouldn't you be inside trying to get some z's and not out here talking to us?"

"I would Yukino, but the responsible mom in me has to make sure you guys get on your way to school before you start running late," she told them as she started shooing them off. "Now run along, get good grades, and go do well on your entrance exam...! I know you all will, but I just had to say it for the sake of courtesy."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Ma!" said Daisuke, giving his mother a quick hug, Yukino following right after him. Shouto settled for a simple wave before following the two down the street, leaving the woman to watch them go until they were finally out of her sight, a relieved look crossing her face as she walked back into her home.

"I hope you don't mind me mentioning this, but your mother seemed a little _too tired_ this morning," Shouto stated as they reached the station, breaking the comfortable silence that had enveloped the three since they left the Onizaki property. "Has her work been stressing her out or something?"

"You're not far off the mark Todoroki . . . Ma's been working on a certain case for a while now, and she spent a lot of last night looking over the paperwork for it. Apparently, your dad's been working on the same one as well." Daisuke mumbled as they walked over to the ticket booth. "Turns out the two of them are following the same set of leads. She's been thinking about contacting his agency to share info and maybe work together on it, but well, knowing him, I don't think your dad's gonna go for it."

"Did those ears of yours tell you that?"

"I can't help what I hear with these things sis." Daisuke mumbled as he twitched his ears, amusing the small child standing with her mom right behind them. "They tend to pick up on stuff that I wasn't looking for."

"Uh huh," she mumbled as Shouto got their tickets. "Despite the rivalry the media likes to build up between our parents, Ma would certainly be willing to work with him on that case she's so busy with. She may not like Mr. Number 2, but she's willing to push her dislike aside to get the job done."

"Your mother would definitely be the one to raise the idea, but let's face it, Daisuke's right. My father would never go for it unless it was absolutely necessary, or he was forced to do it," Shouto was quick to say as he handed them their tickets, annoyed with his father's antics once again. "My old man is too prideful for his own good. He hates to ask for help. It makes him seem weak, and he doesn't like appearing weak, especially in the face of people he considers strong enough to be even willing to share the time of day with. It's that simple."

"You're telling me. . . Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to say that I respect his ability to solve cases and all that comes with it, but when it comes to overall cooperativeness, he's probably one of the worst ones out there. . . Was I too offensive?"

"No, you were right on point Daisuke." Todoroki admitted, not disagreeing in the slightest with his description of his jerk of an old man.

"He did famously decline Best Jeanist's offer to help with a case a few years back. Yeah, he may have been successful solving it on his own, but even I'll admit that I thought the exchange was cringeworthy when I heard about it," Yukino added as the three reached the escalators to the platform. "So, how do you think the exam's gonna go? You think they changed it this year?"

"Nah; they're sticking with the same formula they use every year," Daisuke confidently answered. "The two exams are gonna be run concurrently of course. Written exam is the same for everyone, but the practical portions for the two are different, and then there's also the individual interviews us recommended students have to contend with . . . Get through all three sections, and all we do after that is wait and see if we get accepted or not. Easy peasy."

"And how do you know all this? Did you hear all that too with your ears?"

"Nah Shouto; I asked Aunt Shizuna about it while I was on the phone with her a few days back," Daisuke smugly replied as the trio reached the platform, just as their train was pulling into the station. "Having a relative that's one of the school's newest teachers has its advantages sometime."

"That may be the case, but I highly doubt it's gonna help you get into U.A," Shouto mumbled as he walked ahead. "That school is all about proving that you have what it takes to be a hero, not what connections you have that'll help you get there."

"Considering his 'connections', I guess what he said is warranted." Daisuke quietly mumbled as his sister silently followed the Todoroki, leaving him to bring up the rear.

" _But seriously Shouto, can you really prove yourself to be a true hero when you hold yourself back so much?"_

* * *

 **And there you have it for Chapter 1. We finally meet some more Onizakis, had some interaction between members from both families, and we got to see some history between the two. I'm hoping I got Shouto's characterization just about right, with a few tweaks here and there, but if not, I'll surely be working on it throughout the story.**

 **Next chapter, we'll explore the exam a bit, meet up with Momo, and check back with Aizawa and Shizuna to see how they're doing. Maybe we'll get to see some of the other Class 1-A students as well :)**

 **Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next chapter. This has been SandsnakeQueen, signing off!**


	3. Testing Ground

**A/N: Welcome to Chapter 2!**

 **It's time** **for** **the entrance exams** **!** **Todoroki and the Onizaki twins will** **very much be in this chapter** **, Momo joins the fray, Aizawa and Shizuna interact once again, and we'll get to s** **ee** **some future U.A. students show** **their stuff** **. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2** \- Testing Ground

"Sheesh, I knew Ma said that the school was huge, but I didn't think it was _this huge."_ Daisuke mumbled as the three came to a stop just past the campus' front gate. The walkway leading up to U.A.'s main building was crowded with students, all dressed in the uniforms of the many schools that were spread across the country.

A few of them were already making their way inside, but most were hanging around the surrounding school grounds, either talking to others about any topics that came to mind, checking their phones, or even getting some last-minute school work done so they wouldn't have to do it later.

"Well, she did say that the place greatly expanded since she was a student here, but you were too busy making sure Nami wasn't clinging to your pants to pay attention." Yukino mumbled as she looked around the place, getting a feel of the atmosphere. "The sign-in period for the regular exam doesn't start for another half hour. That must be why most of these people haven't went in yet."

"Which means anyone going inside at this point must be part of the recommended group . . . Any guesses on how many got recommended this year?" Daisuke cheekily asked as he noticed that a few girls dressed in the same uniform were checking him and Shouto out. While Shouto ignored them, the cat teen acknowledged them with a small nod, which sent the girls into a giggling frenzy as they chatted amongst themselves.

"Looks like you got fans . . ." Shouto mumbled, having saw the entire interaction from the corner of his eyes. "As for how many got recommended this year? It's always smaller than the main group, but the number varies from year to year."

"The number may be small, but it's always packed with potential. A lot of the stronger quirks tend to be found in the recommended group every year," Yukino mumbled right back as she continued looking around. "You can't forget that little detail."

"That too . . . You're not nervous, are you Yukino?"

"Now why would you ask me that question Shouto? I'm not nervous. I was just making a general observation," she grumbled as she looked him straight in the eyes, a little insulted by the insinuation. "All I'm saying is that we're up against a lot of stiff competition, and if we want to see acceptance letters in our mailboxes in a few weeks' time, we need to be on our a-game today."

"You don't have to worry about me. Just worry about yourself and you should be fine."

"This coming from the guy who only uses half his quirk?"

Violet and heterochromatic eyes both turned to glare at Daisuke, who was looking at anywhere but them at the moment. When he turned to face them, he was unapologetic. "I said what I said. I'm not taking it back."

"I've known you for years. Trust me, I don't expect you to." Shouto answered as he turned away. He knew that the blue-haired teen already knew and understood the reasoning behind why he didn't actively use his left side in battle.

He also knew that Daisuke didn't agree with the decision one bit.

He understood it, just didn't agree with it.

"Ah, it's so nice that we're in agreement my dear friend," Daisuke sarcastically mumbled as the three finally moved forward, Shouto now taking the lead. "I was beginning to worry."

"Your disagreement over Shouto's decision to only use his ice in battle will never die, will it?" Yukino asked, exasperated by the sudden tense back-and-forth between the two.

"Not in the slightest sis."

"I don't believe it will." said Shouto, and Yukino shook her head even more.

She also accepted Shouto's reasoning behind his decision and respected him for sticking by it for so long. Yukino knew firsthand how strong his ice was, witnessing it in action many times over.

Yukino even sparred with him on certain occasions, usually when he came over to her house to escape the living mayhem that was his father. She knew if anyone could try to be a good hero with only half his power, then Todoroki was that guy. However, Todoroki's quirk was designed like a check and balance - one side can't work well without the other there to fully regulate it.

From that alone, even she knew that Daisuke had a good reason to disagree with Shouto's choice.

Outside of using it to regulate his body temperature, Shouto hadn't openly used his fire for a long time, not wanting to give his father the privilege of seeing him succeed while using something he inherited from him. He had become reliant on his mother's ice ever since he made that personal vow, almost too much if you asked Yukino, though she never voiced it, figuring that Shouto was smart enough to come to the same conclusion as well, in time.

In truth, Yukino believed that Shouto was being a bit too stubborn for his own good, and that in time, he would eventually use his left side again, whether it was by his own decision, or the situation he was in left him with no other choice.

It was all a matter of _when_ though.

The trio managed to get halfway up the walkway when a sudden gust of wind blew past them on their right, the strength of it making them cover their eyes immediately and sent loose papers flying into the atmosphere. When they finally looked up, a boy taller than Daisuke with closely cropped dark brown hair was standing a few feet away from them. He had a big grin on his face, completely oblivious to the flying papers and angry glares he was getting from everyone that had been caught in his sudden whirlwind.

"Wow! I guess someone's ready to take the exam." Daisuke mumbled as he patted his head to make sure his bun was still in place. He had spoken in a low, hushed tone, but the other boy still managed to hear him, his head turning to face the three so fast that they thought he had given himself whiplash.

And yes, he still had that grin on his face.

"Indeed, I am! My name is Inasa Yoarashi! Nice to meet you all!" said the boy, his voice so loud that most of the crowd heard him as he walked over to the three. His eyes narrowed slightly as he got a good look at the three, his face showing a slight hint of recognition when his eyes stopped on Yukino. "Hey, you look a lot like the Cold Hero: Ice Mist!"

"Yeah, I get that a lot, mainly because she's our mom," Yukino kindly answered him, gesturing to herself and Daisuke. "Though, this is the first time in a while I've heard someone call her by her full hero name. Most people simply call her Ice or Lady Mist and leave it at that."

"She's one of the best ones out there! A hero like her deserves the utmost respect, so I usually use her full hero name when I talk about her with friends. It must be cool to have the Number Three and top ranked heroine in Japan as your mom!"

" _This guy has some personality, and with a demeanor like his, his group of friends must be an eclectic bunch."_ Daisuke thought as he snuck a quick look with his sister, slightly worried that they just encountered another super fanboy of their mom's.

They had met plenty of them in their short 15 years.

Inasa stopped himself once he spotted Shouto standing a few feet away, just staring at the school. To Inasa, the dual-haired teen's eyes looked so far away, yet they looked so intimidating and familiar at the same time. Yukino and Daisuke both noticed the change in the Todoroki's demeanor soon after he did. They were familiar with it, but it wasn't something that either liked in the slightest.

"You don't think . . ." Daisuke whispered as they watched Yoarashi walk toward Shouto, practically without a care in the world.

"Oh, I so hope not," Yukino answered as she took a tentative step forward. _"If Inasa knows what's good for him, he'll_ _read the room and_ _not approach_ _Shouto_ _. It looks like he's fallen into one of his 'moods' again."_

"I knew I recognized you! You're the son of Endeavor, right!?"

" _Kami dammit!"_

The twins unintentionally chorused each other in their thoughts as they watched the encounter unfold. Yoarashi waited for Todoroki to answer him, but he didn't say a word, his eyes taking on a cold edge as he resisted the urge to clench his fist. Thinking that he should try again, Inasa started to repeat his greeting, but the Todoroki scion wasn't having it, coldly glaring at him before the taller teen could even say a single word.

"Don't even bother."

"Oh no . . ." Yukino whispered as Daisuke shook his head and walked away, not even bothering to watch the aftermath. Her eyes showed her concern as she watched Inasa, his face frozen in shock as Shouto blatantly blew him off and started marching to the school, Daisuke following right after him as he continued to shake his head.

With those two making their exit, Yukino was left to pick up the pieces.

"I'm sorry about that. . . Sometimes Todoroki can get a little, out of sorts." she mumbled as she walked up to Inasa, still staring at the two retreating figures. "He's usually much more pleasant than this."

"That's . . . okay. He's probably just amped up for the exam!" he says, his grin already back on his face as he turned to her. It was so blinding that it made Yukino step back a little, surprised that the taller boy would come to such a reasoning in the first place. "Good luck to you though! If we both end up being accepted, I hope we're in the same class!"

And then he was gone in a gust of wind, rushing toward the building without a care in the world, easily bypassing Shouto and Daisuke, and, once again, annoying everyone that got caught in his breeze as he practically flew by.

"Well, that was odd," the white-haired teen mumbled as she started jogging to the steps. She managed to catch up to her brother and Shouto as they were walking through the front door, her eyes spotting Inasa stopping at the recommendation check-in desk in the back of the massive foyer.

"He's quite an energetic guy, isn't he? Something tells me that he'll be someone to watch out for in this exam," the Onizaki mumbled as she turned her head, frowning when she saw Todoroki's stone-cold expression. "Shouto, you going to be ok?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you did coldly dismiss that Inasa guy all because he made that certain connection earlier. Plus, your body is currently stiff as a board, and when you have that look on your face, how can we not conclude that you're absolutely pissed?" Daisuke asked as he walked toward the table. Shouto scowl deepened slightly before his face finally relaxed, his expression becoming less harsh.

"I would ask if you wanted to talk about it, but I think I can guess what the answer's going to be." Yukino kindly mumbled as they followed the cat boy.

"It would be redundant anyway," his tone wasn't dismissive, but tired, as if he was rehashing the same story again and again for a distracted audience. "Besides, it's usually the same thing anyway."

" _Endeavor"_ she thought, keeping her mouth shut as the three quickly checked in at the table. Once they were directed to their next location, they moved toward the elevators, taking it up a few floors till it reached their desired landing.

After walking through a couple of hallways, the trio reached the open doors of a large conference room. All the tables were lined against the walls, except for one covered in a white tablecloth, a couple of microphones, and some bottles of water. In front of it was about 60 seats, split into two sections of 30 with a clear aisle in between.

"This place looks ready for a conference, not a meeting between all the recommended students," Yukino quietly mumbled as she spotted Inasa sitting in one of the front rows on the right, already talking the head off of one of the other students.

Not wanting to be a part of that, the trio opted to sit in one of the middle rows on the left.

"So, you feel a little better after your 'cold spell' Shou?"

"Really Daisuke?" Yukino asked with an exasperated look on her face. If Todoroki hadn't been sitting in between them, she would have gladly elbowed him in the ribs for, what she thought, was a poor question.

"What? I was only asking?" Daisuke mumbled as he raised his hands, signaling that he meant no harm. "Besides, you know as well as I do that when Shouto here is in one of his 'moods', it's never good for anyone around him."

"Moods?" Shouto asked. "I have moods?"

"Yeah; your 'moods'." Daisuke stated as he leaned back into his seat. "Simply put, something sets you off, usually your fire bastard of a father, and then immediately afterward you go into either a sudden blitz of disproportionate retribution or get so coldly standoffish that it just makes me want to smack you so you'd snap out of it!"

"Is that so?" Todoroki asked, looking down at his hands.

"It's either that or have Yukino lob snowballs at your face to do it." Daisuke mumbled, smirking at the grimace his sister was shooting his way. "Don't look at me like that sis! I was only quoting what you previously said!"

"I guess I need to work on my temperament a little more then . . . I try to not let my father get to me, but even the mere thought of him gets a rise out of me sometimes."

"Don't beat yourself up about it too much. These things just take time. . . At least you can say that you're trying to correct this mental block of yours, right?" Yukino asked, smirking as she rested her chin on his shoulder,

"Sis is right! The most important thing is that you have recognized that your tendency to get triggered by _he-who-must-not-be-named_ is a problem, you're working on it, and that's what counts." Daisuke added as his ears perked up, his head swiveling toward one of the closed doors in the front of the room.

"Great, what are you hearing now Dai?"

"Nothing much," he mumbled as he massaged his right ear. "Besides a whole bunch of the people in this room having realized who our parents are and have rightly concluded that we're major competition, I can hear some of the staff coming up down the hallway, so the proceedings should start any minute now by my estimate."

"Um, excuse me?"

The three looked up to see a tall girl with dark hair tied up in a striking ponytail staring at them with a curious look in her dark eyes. She looked to be around Shouto's height and was dressed in a uniform that had the insignia of one of the premier all-girls schools in the country right on the breast of her navy-blue blazer.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but is this seat taken?" she asked, pointing to the chair next to Daisuke, his bag the current occupant. "I just walked in, and there's not that many seats available."

"Oh, yeah, you can sit here. It's not a problem" said Daisuke, moving his bag to the floor, his face welcoming, yet slightly flustered. The girl, having no clue how flustered she was making him, nodded her thanks as she sat down, her dark eyes inquisitive as she looked at the three. "Um, is there something on my face?"

"No, it's just that you three look familiar somehow. Have we met before?" she asked as she touched her chin with a finger. "I feel like I saw you guys at a hero ceremony or something?"

"That makes sense. Our parents have dragged us to a fair share of hero ceremonies over the years; a highlight of being children of two of the top five pro-heroes in the country I guess." Daisuke mumbled, his eyes looking faint as he looked back on the memory. Noticing how wide the girl's eyes got at the admission, the cat boy decided to continue with his thought. "My friend here with hair as red and white as our national flag is the son of the current Number Two. The white-haired girl sitting on the other side of him is my sister, and we're the kids of the current Number Three."

"I see; so, we did cross paths before . . ." said the girl as Shouto gave Daisuke a look that said a lot, specifically, _'Does my hair really remind you of the country's flag?'_

Daisuke's answer: _'That, and so much more.'_

"Most likely. We just never interacted till now," said Yukino as she outstretched her hand to the newcomer, ignoring the silent conversation going on between them. "Hi, my name is Yukino Onizaki. The cat boy sitting next to you is Daisuke, my younger twin, and the boy sitting next to me is Shouto Todoroki. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Likewise, Yukino," said the girl as the two shook hands. "My name is Momo Yaoyorozu. Nice to meet you all."

"Wait, Yaoyorozu?" Daisuke asked, his head turning so quick that Shouto thought he felt a gust of wind hit his cheek. "Oh, as in the Yaoyorozu hero family?"

"The very same one." said Momo, a small grin tugging on her lips. "We've been making our mark more in business than in heroism these days though. I'm the first in my family to apply to a hero school in quite a long while."

"Well, not everyone is up to pursuing the life of a hero, even people who are a part of hero families." Shouto mumbled, speaking for the first time in a while.

Before anything else could be said, one of the side doors swung open, and three figures walked into the room, all of them standing at various heights. Leading the little group was a large, gray man dressed in a brown and yellow costume. What made him so striking was that he looked like a block of cement come to life, the serene look on his face making him look the calmest of the three.

The second, a dark-haired woman, was the most provocative one by far, coming in with an eager grin that was bordering on lecherous. Her hero costume wasn't much better, at best being described as a _conservative_ bondage outfit on top of a white bodysuit. Of course, most of the boys', and a couple of the girls', attention was directed at her, but she didn't entertain them one bit, choosing to stare straight at the empty table they were walking to as she tried to keep her attention in check.

"That's . . . quite an interesting outfit." Momo mumbled, hiding her bemusement behind the palm of her hand.

"It's definitely out there . . ." Daisuke mumbled, being one of the few boys in the room to not be affected by the woman's appearance one bit.

"Rumor has it that she was the one that led the government to regulate hero costumes so that they weren't _too risqué_ ," Yukino mumbled in a hush whisper as the three beings took their seats at the table. "I think the outfit she wore during her debut was much more revealing than what she's wearing now."

"It was probably for the best. They wouldn't have let her work here if she still wore that costume," Shouto whispered in return, his eyes moving from the woman to the smaller being sitting right next to her. "I'm curious about the small creature sitting next to her though."

The creature he was talking about was smaller than the cement man and provocative woman _by a lot_. He was obviously not human, but with the white button down, dark slacks, matching dark waistcoat, and bright orange sneakers, he was certainly dressed like one.

Todoroki believed he was a mouse at first glance, Yaoyorozu thought he was a very professional looking polar bear, Daisuke thought he was a dog with a nifty scar over his eye, while Yukino somehow figured that he was a mixture of all three.

The three waited until the room was so quiet that they could hear a pin drop. Once they were happy with the level of volume, they deemed it was time to start the proceedings, and surprisingly enough, it was the polar bear-dog-mouse creature that spoke first.

"Hello prospective students! My name is Nedzu! If any of you are lucky enough to be formally accepted to U.A, you will get to know me as your principal. Don't let my size fool you. I do my job, and I do it well," the creature advised as he spoke into the microphone, his voice cheery, yet stern as he turned his attention to the people beside them. "Let me introduce you to my cohorts here. The man here beside me is Ken Ishiyama. To the public, he's known as Cementoss, but here in U.A., he serves as our resident Modern Literature teacher."

"Good afternoon everyone." the living block of cement says in greeting, appearing quite emotive despite his stony face.

"On the other side of me is Nemuri Kayama, otherwise known as the 18+ Hero: Midnight. Here, she is our Modern Hero Art History Teacher."

"It's always nice to meet such young talent. I hope you all do well today." Midnight's voice was sweet and sincere, not the husky, bordering-on-provocative tone that many were expecting to hear out of her, especially those that were lucky enough to see video of some of her more _interesting_ press interviews over the years.

"Cementoss and Midnight, along with many of the staff here at U.A., will be helping me decide who amongst you get accepted and who will not." Nedzu adds, still with his cheery tone in place.

"You recommended students were brought to our attention by those who were willing to vouch for you, whether it is because of your quirks, your skills, your intellect, or some combination of the three. However, just because you were recommended, doesn't mean you actually _deserve_ to be here. . . I hope you all didn't come here with a sense of entitlement, already thinking that you've got a spot here locked up in the bag, because trust me, you don't. We have dismissed candidates as soon as they have proven that they weren't up to this school's standards, and those standards are very high. Don't expect this year to be any different."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Daisuke mumbled quietly, Momo and Yukino both shaking their heads in agreement as Shouto studiously remained silent.

"Now then, you all will be facing a written and practical exam, just like those who face the main entrance exam. However, each of you will have to undergo an interview with one of the staff members here on campus. The results of the interview, practical, and written exams combined will determine your status here at the school."

"Now, I know my previous words sounded a little daunting, but I said it with purpose in mind. Heroism is a serious business, and it should never be taken likely. Those who do take it likely should simply leave now because if you see it that way, then bluntly speaking, you don't deserve to be a hero if you continue to think like that . . . Here at U.A., we train future heroes to the best of our ability; to make sure they are well prepared for the obstacles they'll face once they graduate, both the good and the bad. Today, you are simply taking the first step on a long journey. If you are serious about this, then you will make sure it's not your last . . . Give it everything you got, because we will be watching with the greatest of care. Do you all understand me?"

Most of the students answered him with a resounding "Yes sir!", while a few - Shouto included - simply remained silent and nodded their heads. Cementoss simply nodded at the students' enthusiasm while Midnight had a slightly disturbing smile spread across her face. Nedzu simply smiled at the students, glad that his speech - seemingly - got through to them.

"I see we have an eager group this year. That's good to see," said the small principal once the noise died down. "Usually, we have you all start the exam with the written portion, then the practical, and then finally the interview before you're let go to your own devices. . . This year, we will be doing things differently. The process will be going in reverse order: interview, practical, then finally the written exam. Everyone in the first row, please follow Midnight. She'll direct you to the interview rooms."

"I wonder why they switched the order this year." Momo mumbled as she watched the first row follow the 18+ Hero out the room.

"I guess they wanted to switch up the formula. Sometimes things get stale and you need to shake it up a bit to make it fresh again," Daisuke mumbled as he leaned back in his seat. "I could always ask Aunt Shizuna about it later on."

"Your aunt works for U.A?" Momo asked, a little surprised by the admission.

"She's one of the new teachers they brought in for the new year." Yukino answered.

"You likely won't see her though. She's been assigned to help oversee the main exam." Daisuke added as he crossed his arms.

"That does make sense. It would be a bit biased to have a relative oversee an exam her family is partaking in." Momo thoughtfully stated as she looked down the row. "What is she supposed to teach here?"

"She's teaching two classes. World History is one," said Daisuke. ". . . and the other is being called Combat Skills & Pragmatism. It's supposed to be a new course they're introducing this year to the incoming freshman."

"Combat Skills and Pragmatism? That sounds like a mouthful." Shouto mumbled, not even trying to be funny. He was being perfectly serious.

"It is, and no, she didn't name the class that, well, if you were wondering." Daisuke mumbled in her defense; the way his pout and the way his ears were now limply hanging made Momo chuckle at the pure sight of it.

"Well, if you ask me, it won't matter what the class is called if we don't get into U.A. in the first place."

"Wow, way to kill a mood sis."

"I'm not killing a mood Dai. I'm simply being a realist here. The seats in the Hero course is very limited, so if we don't work our butts off hard enough for them, we're not getting in here again after this."

"Yeah, I'm siding with your sister on this one Daisuke. Sorry."

"Of course, you would Shouto. You ice quirk users just have to stick together and all."

"I know that, at the moment, you must feel like you're getting ganged up on Daisuke, but your sister and your friend are still right," Momo added, making the cat teen really feel like he was surrounded by opposition on all sides now. "If we don't get accepted, what's the point in knowing the class' names hm?"

"Alright, alright, I see your point everyone," Daisuke mumbled. "Still, not getting accepted would certainly suck."

"Then there's only one thing you need to do to prevent that from happening," said Shouto, his words getting the three's attention. "Make sure you give this school no reason to not accept you."

* * *

 **F ~** **x ~** **R ~** **x ~** **D**

Aizawa was silently making his way to the room where the staff members not actively proctoring the exams would be viewing and judging the festivities. As one of the homeroom teachers of the highly desired hero course, Shouta wasn't allowed to have an actual vote when it came to dividing the rescue points among the exam takers, but he could offer his opinions when he saw fit.

He always kept his hopes low though.

. . . What's the point of getting your hopes up when there's a chance for disappointment down the road huh?

When he finally reached the monitoring room, there were already teachers and other staff members milling about as they waited for the practical to begin. A wall of monitors displayed the examinees as they stood in front of the various testing grounds strewn across the campus. A couple of them were centered on Present Mic, who was reviewing the instructions to the teens from his perch on the radio tower.

Shouta was trying to find a comfortable spot to properly view the proceedings when he spotted Vlad King waving for him to come over to the back of the room. When he noticed who the Blood Hero was with though, Aizawa hesitated before slowly walking over to the two, hoping that his moment of hesitation wasn't noticed. He figured it was better to get it over with now before his fellow homeroom teacher grew suspicious later on.

Plus, he didn't want to seem rude, especially to one of the 'new kids on the block'.

It had been a month since Shizuna Onizaki was introduced as one of the newest teachers to join the U.A. staff, and in that time span, he managed to not speak to her much . . .

. . . Mainly because he didn't really know how to approach her.

The longest conversation they had with each other was on the day she was introduced - well, in Aizawa's case, _re_ - _introduced_ \- but even then, it was a few sentences at best.

Ever since then, the most they spoke to each other was a few fleeting words, enough to be considered cordial. They would greet each other during the few times she would appear in the staff room to work on her lesson plans, but other than that, silence.

Sometimes-awkward, sometimes-comfortable silence.

Shouta couldn't keep his eyes off her though, sneaking the occasional look when he knew she wasn't watching. However, he only did it when he knew no one else in the room was watching - or when there was no one else in the room in general - because he knew that if someone like Hizashi or Nemuri noticed him, effectively, _checking_ _Shizuna out_ , they would never let him live it down.

"Morning Aizawa!" said Vlad as Shizuna greeted him with a small wave. He returned the wave with a nod, trying to keep his face indifferent as he greeted the two. "You look tired, as usual."

"It's just my style I guess." the Erasure Hero mumbled as he pulled down his scarf to speak more freely. "How long before the exam's supposed to start?"

"It should start within another two minutes, give or take," Shizuna helpfully replied. "From what I can tell, it's definitely changed a lot since I had to take the damn thing."

"Yeah; consistency has always been a strong suit of U.A's," Vlad sarcastically mumbled as his eyes slid her way. "By the way, don't you have family members taking the exam this year?"

"Yeah, my niece and nephew, but they're in the recommended group," said Shizuna as the sound that signaled the start of the exam echoed through the speakers. The three turned their heads in time to see the students rush through the gates, with log jams forming at a couple of the locations. "If they end up getting accepted, one, or both, of you may end up being their homeroom teacher."

"Looking forward to it. If you excuse me . . ." said Vlad as he stepped away to talk to Ectoplasm, leaving the two by themselves to watch the proceedings.

"Still being quite the quiet one, huh Shouta?"

Aizawa's eyes widened slightly when he heard that question. Turning his head, his black eyes became locked with her dark red ones, and in that moment, he felt like he couldn't look away.

"Am I really that quiet?" he asked, slightly amused, yet slightly curious as to where she was planning to go with this.

"Well, every time I see you in the staff room, you always seem so quiet, even when you're around those you consider friends. Granted, you were just like this back when we were still students," she mumbled as she crossed her arms. "I figured with friends like Hizashi and Nemuri, you would have broken out of your quiet, sleep-deprived shell. Well, at least a little bit more than how you are now . . . You don't speak to most of your old classmates, don't you?"

"Outside of Nemuri and Hizashi, and to a lesser degree Tensei and Ryuko, no, I don't speak with the rest of them. . . Considering the kind of people I had to call 'classmates' for three years, can you really blame me?"

"Not really; some of your classmates, well, they definitely weren't the best that U.A. had to offer at the time, were they? I think I'll stop there on the matter."

"No, they certainly were not . . ." Aizawa mumbled, agreeing with a nod of the head. He had to admit that he did have some good memories of high school, mainly thanks to the likes of Mic and Midnight, and to a lesser degree, Shizuna herself. However, high school was no walk in the park for him, and he did have his struggles, both internally and by others.

"Though, to be fair, you didn't really go out of your way to be friends with people . . . I'm still trying to figure out how you and Hizashi remain such good friends to this day." she mumbled, her face showing her slight confusion.

Aizawa thought it was cute on her, but quickly shook the thought away, trying to stay as professional as possible.

"Yeah, I'm still trying to figure that out myself . . . I guess it takes practice. And by the way, I could have made friends with other people in my class, but they proved to me they weren't that much of the effort, in more ways than one. You can't deny me that," the Erasure Hero mumbled as he turned to the screen, watching as a few of his potential students took down some of the one-point robots. "Anyway, you said you have a niece and nephew in the recommendation exam?"

"My sister Ice Mist's kids," she said with a nod as she watched as an effeminate blonde boy shot down a robot with a sparkling laser that was coming out from his navel area, just in time to save a trembling, green-haired boy's life. "Like I said before, you may end up teaching them in a few months' time."

"But will they be worth my time?"

Aizawa instantly wanted to slap himself for blurting his thoughts the way that he did, knowing he sounded a little harsh when he said it. He didn't mean to, but with his history of teaching past - and sometimes disappointing - homeroom classes, he had said the question like it was second nature.

He was about to apologize when he noticed the small smirk Shizuna had on her face. That's when he realized that she wasn't offended.

Actually, she looked a little amused.

Damn was he relieved.

He didn't show it on his face, but he was definitely relieved.

"Well, I certainly think so. Of course, my sister is inherently biased because this is _her kids_ we're talking about, but I trust her word when it comes to her children's progress . . . By the way, I wasn't offended by your question. Knowing you, you probably didn't mean anything by that, well, I hope."

A small part of Aizawa was a little fretful when he heard that last part, but he held his tongue. Partly because he didn't know how to answer that, and partly because he didn't trust his mouth to not say something irrational again. "Remember, it takes a lot more than that to get on my nerves . . . But the decision will be up to you after all, well, if they do end up in your class. Speaking of classes: We still have much to do discuss."

"How so?"

"Well, for starters, if my relatives do end up being in either your class, Vlad's class, or one goes to each, there would be a bit of a 'conflict of interest' scenario happening here, don't you think?"

"Conflict of interest?"

"No matter what happens, someone is going to think that it would be a little biased and unfair to the other students if a teacher educates someone that they're related to during official hours. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Well, that is true," Aizawa mumbled, nodding at her assessment. _"_ _Even if Shizuna prov_ _es_ _to be the most unbiased teacher at_ _here_ _, some_ _asshole_ _would see her teaching classes that includes her own_ _niece and nephew_ _as a little suspicious and unethical_. . . _Damn I hate these kinds of complications._ _"_ "Do you have a plan to combat this?"

"I do. I actually ran it through with Nedzu and Vlad before you walked in here, and they're fine with it," she mentioned as a member of the Iida family - Tensei's younger brother in fact - kicked a robot into submission with no problem on screen. "It's quite simple really. I just need _you_ to be present during my lessons and grade my niece and nephew - and maybe a few others in the class - in all their assignments. That way, when someone tries to point out that it's a bad idea to teach a class that includes my own relatives, I can just say that I had a fellow teacher there to assist me during said session. I would, of course, have no say in how you grade them."

"You plan to give me free reign on grading them, and you will have no problem with this?"

"As long as you follow my grading rubric, nope, I won't have an issue. Do we have a deal?" she asked, his face becoming thoughtful as he thought over her proposition. Aizawa honestly thought it was a sound plan - there was definitely some thought put into it - but he didn't want to agree to it just yet.

Not without a certain condition of his being met first.

"I like it. I think it's a good idea, and I would be happy to assist you," he told her, a smirk showing on his face. "However, I wanted to suggest a certain condition for you to consider before I fully agree to it Onizaki."

"I see, and what would that condition be Aizawa?" she asked, curious as to what he had in mind.

"I want to help you teach your Combat Skills & Pragmatism course, at least, for my class. I'll even do half of the class grading if you want."

"Really? Hmm," Shizuna thought, bringing a gloved hand to her chin. "Well, in terms of fighting without the need of one's quirk, you were always one of the best in your class. I guess it wouldn't hurt to have your expertise added to the mix. . . Fine, I accept your proposal."

Shouta's smirk stretched into a rare, genuine grin - from her agreeing to his offer or from her compliment, no one could really guess. The two ended up shaking on it, and the black-haired hero couldn't help but notice how soft the bare skin of her fingers were before letting go.

Plus, the handshake was starting to last a little too long for it to be considered normal, and Aizawa didn't want her thinking that he was acting a bit creepy.

"I'll have to run your proposal through with Nedzu to see what he has to say - and I'm sure he'll have _plenty_ to say on the subject - but other than that, consider yourself part of the class," said the katana wielding hero as one of the screens showed a large zero-point robot appearing at one of the training grounds.

"Still, I have to ask. Why are you offering yourself like this Aizawa? Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the help, but you seem like a man that would rather sleep at any chance he can get than someone who'd willingly add more teaching work to their schedule."

"Well, you're not wrong," Aizawa mumbled as he looked off to the side, already picturing how Mic would react when he found out that he wanted to help Shizuna out. It wasn't pretty picturing the look of shock on the blonde's face before the yelling would begin.

His ears would take a while to recover, he just knew it.

"To be honest, I think the idea of the combat class is a good one. Whether we like it or not, many of today's heroes have become heavily reliant on using just their quirks too much in battle. . . With this class, I'm hoping the students will learn that they shouldn't just rely on their powers to win a fight."

"Well, if you don't expel them first that is."

"Yeah, that too . . ." he mumbled as he brought a hand to the back of his neck, having never expected to hear that line from her. "How'd you find that out?"

"Nedzu mentioned it in passing during my interview, and then Hizashi further expanded on it when I joined him and Midnight for a lunch break a couple of weeks ago," she answered as they watched the green-haired boy from earlier destroy the zero-point robot with one punch, shocking most in the room.

Shizuna was rather impressed by the boy's raw power, but both she and Shouta couldn't help but notice that his quirk had a severe recoil effect on his body, making the latter slightly scowl at the sight as they watched him plummet to the ground, one of his arms and both his legs flapping behind him like limp noodles. "Flashy, but not that practical. You think he has a plan to break his fall?"

"I don't think so, but if anyone wants to earn any rescue points, this is a prime opportunity to do so . . . For crying out loud, it looked like he had no idea how to truly control his quirk. One punch, that's it, and he has nothing else. What he just did was reckless and being reckless isn't a good quality to have if you want to be a hero." Shouta grumbled as they watched the boy get slapped by a brown-haired girl before he could touch the ground.

Whatever that slap did to him ended up saving him from further injury, as he floated the rest of the way down instead of crash landing. As for the girl, she promptly started puking her guts out, as if the simple act made her nauseous somehow "So, Mic explained to you my _habit_ of expelling students huh?"

"That wasn't the only thing he touched on about you, but I think I'll let you ask him about that yourself. I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about." Shizuna playfully teased as the signal for the test's completion echoed through the room. Her statement instantly made Aizawa curious, and he quickly made a mental note to talk to Hizashi later about this.

"As for that boy with the self-detrimental quirk, he definitely has the strength and power, but time will tell if he'll be able to wield it wisely. . . Look, he's already gained enough Rescue Points to negate his lack of Villain Points, so he'll definitely make it into the Top 10," Shizuna pointed out as she looked at the scoreboard.

Much to Shouta's consternation - and annoyance with the test judges - she was right. The green-haired boy had indeed cracked the Top 10 with one of the most lopsided point gains of the bunch. He wasn't the only one, as the top ranked student on the list had the most villain points. He didn't have a single rescue point to his credit. "All I can say is that if he ends up being in your class, I wish him the best of luck."

"I'm not that terrible."

"You did expel the last class you had, right?"

"Yes, with good reason."

". . . With good reason," Shizuna conceded as she turned away. "Well, I still need to work out the some of the kinks in the lesson plans for the Combat Skills course . . . Would you like to assist me with them tomorrow in the staff room? Considering you're not teaching a class this semester, you should have all the time in the world."

"Hmm, I'll bring the coffee and you bring the plans." Aizawa easily replied as she turned away. Mentally, he was a little shocked at his sudden bravado. He wasn't one for openly flirting - if you could call what he just said that - but he had his moments.

They were rare, but he had his moments.

Nemuri and Hizashi would have been proud.

"Milk, no sugar please, oh, and again, thanks for offering. . ." she said with a smirk as she walked away. Aizawa watched her move to another part of the room before turning his attention back to the monitors, his eyes keen as he watched the examinees exit the training grounds.

Some of them would be fortunate, or unfortunate, enough to be his students, and all he hoped for was that his next class would be better than his last batch, or else there would be hell to pay. Knowing Aizawa, it was a definite possibility.

And speaking of hell to pay . . .

" _Now then . . ."_ Aizawa thought to himself as he started moving toward the exit, his scowl growing deeper as he shoved his hands into his pockets and his thoughts turned to one man. _"_ _I b_ _etter find Hizashi. He and I need to have a little chat."_

Somewhere in the radio tower, a certain blonde in leather and tinted sunglasses felt a shiver go down his spine . . . He had a feeling he should avoid a certain black wearing hero for the rest of the day.

He really should trust that feeling.

* * *

 **Damn, I managed to stuff all that in this one chapter. *Pats self on the back***

 **Anyway, I'm debating on whether to fast-forward to the first day at U.A. or have a filler chapter to see the group** **'** **s preparation for the upcoming semester. It's a toss-up at this point.**

 **Hope you all liked the chapter** **!**

 **This has been Sandsnake** **Q** **ueen, signing off!**


	4. Coffee and Cooperation

**A/N: Okay, so you know how at** **th** **e end of the last chapter, I w** **rote that I was** **debating over writing either a filler chapter or fast-forwarding to the group's first day at U.A? Well, I've decided to do some filler** **(sorry to those that don't like filler),** **but it does tie in to the main storyline . . .**

 **So, wait, does that mean it's still technically filler?**

 **Yeah, I have no idea** **.** **(o.0)**

 **Anyway, this time, we're starting th** **e** **chapter off with the most famous members of the Todoroki and Onizaki families. It's time for the Cold Hero and the Flame Hero to have their moment in the spotlight.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 3** \- Coffee and Cooperation

* * *

 _ **A week and a half after the U.A. Entrance Exams**_

Yukiko Onizaki was a woman that had more than one face.

To her children, she was a caring mother who managed to be there for them whenever she could find the time, trying her best to not let her work interfere with her family life. Sometimes she'd win, and sometimes she lost, but she always tried, and to her kids, that mattered more than anything.

To her sisters and brother, she was the eldest sibling who served as the family's voice of reason in their occasionally wild discussions, as well as their favorite cook when they caught her at home on a good day. Her okonomiyaki (savory pancakes) were to die for, well, according to her brother.

To her interns and sidekicks, both past and present, she was a mentor who was patient when needed and stern when the situation called for it. She was a walking wealth of knowledge that would give advice when she thought it was for the best, never interfering when she knew that the person under her tutelage could learn from their mistakes all on their own.

And to the police, the public, and her fellow pro-heroes, she was the Cold Hero: Ice Mist, one of the top heroines on the scene, deserving of her spot as the highest ranked woman on the Japanese Hero Rankings. Her Quirk was quite an intimidating one, but she balanced it out with a welcoming smile and a reassuring attitude that made her a good person to work with when needed.

But to Enji Todoroki, a.k.a. the Flame Hero: Endeavor, Yukiko Onizaki was one of his biggest rivals known to man.

Well, one of two actually.

For a long time, the towering redhead had seen his career - most of his life for that matter - guided and developed, in large part, by the rivalries he found himself in as the years went by.

His purely one-sided - and, I mean _one-sided_ \- rivalry with All Might led to his great dislike of the larger-than-life hero. Their quirks were distinctly different, but it was their personalities that were the true opposites.

All Might was the likeable, charismatic muscleman who was always ready with his signature teeth-bearing grin on his face, his powerful Smashes reserved for anyone willing to call themselves villains. Endeavor, on the other hand, was the cold, detached, no-nonsense living fireball whose goal was to surpass the Symbol of Peace at all costs, eventually rising to become Japan's No. 2 Hero.

However, considering the fact that he was trying to surpass _**ALL MIGHT**_ of all people, to unseat him as the top hero was a tall order from the very beginning, one that the Todoroki patriarch reluctantly - _very reluctantly_ \- grew to accept as he got older and All Might continued to be the darling of the public's eye.

That didn't stop him from trying his damned hardest though.

His children could attest to that.

In truth, many didn't see a rivalry between Endeavor and All Might, simply because it wasn't easy to compare any other hero to the resident Symbol of Peace in the first place, not even the current Number Two.

In reality, his rivalry with Ice Mist was the one that really mattered to the public. In terms of current hero rivalries, it was the most newsworthy, and why wouldn't it be? Both came out of the same class in U.A. to become two of Japan's top heroes, standing one behind the other in the rankings. Their powerful element-based quirks - him with his flames, her with her mist - brought them both acclaim from allies, and notoriety among villains, but that was where the similarities ended.

Despite her naturally cold-looking exterior, Ice Mist was someone who was willing to make the time for others. She was cordial with the press, unlike Endeavor, who was a far cry from being a media darling himself, focusing on his skill and merit over the fame and fortune that heroism could bring.

Their opinions on teamwork was also noticeably different. Ice Mist encouraged teamwork and collaboration with others, and her agency was famous for its supportive atmosphere, making it a top pick for future, burgeoning heroes starting out their careers.

Endeavor's agency did work with others when needed, with him personally working on a number of hero team ups over the years, but his domineering personality made him a difficult man to work with, especially when he took the lead.

No one could fault him on his effectiveness though. _No one!_

It was that dedication to solving crime and stopping villains that brought him to where he was now: standing right in front of a long, white, five-story building surrounded by a matching white-brick fence. A couple of citizens were gathering off to the side, some with their phones and cameras already snapping photos of the redhead, curious to know why the Flame Hero was standing in front of his known rival's agency in the first place.

Endeavor was not going to satisfy them with an answer.

"Pfft, the crowd's going to be bigger by the time I leave. I just know it." he grumbled as he walked through the open gate. He bypassed a group of shocked sidekicks and interns lounging in the front courtyard and entered the building to see only two people in the minimalist-looking lobby.

A woman with short, sandy blonde hair that barely reached past her chin was in the middle of a conversation with the male receptionist manning the table. However, their conversation ceased when the man noticed Endeavor approaching, his eyes widening in shock as the blonde woman righted herself. She slowly turned her head, surprise crossing her face as she placed a hand on her hip.

"Well, well, I did not expect to see you walking through those doors Endeavor," said the woman, who was undoubtedly dressed in her hero outfit: a golden yellow, long-sleeved bodysuit that left her hands bare, tall black boots with gold accents that reached mid-thigh, and a pale brown piece of fabric that wrapped around her neck and shoulders, giving it a poncho-like feel. "What brings you down to the Onizaki Hero Agency? With you taking the time out of your busy schedule to come here, I'm sure it has to be something of the utmost importance."

"I must speak with your sister Sandstorm," the walking tiki torch mumbled brusquely as the two stared each other down. "I know she's following up on leads in the Sunada case in the Kita Ward."

"And you're here because you're following up on similar leads and want to compare notes? Or were you planning to take full control over the case?" Sandstorm challenged as she raised an eyebrow, sarcasm lacing her tone. She knew she hit a nerve when his left eye slightly twitched, her smirk only getting bigger as a result. "You know what? You don't need to answer me. I'll let sis handle that. Shino, alert her that I'm coming up with a guest will ya?"

"Yes ma'am!" said the man, his hand shaking slightly as he grasped the phone. Leaving him to make the call, Endeavor followed the blonde to the nearby elevators. She allowed him to enter first before stepping in, pressing the button for the fifth floor as the door slid close.

"I suppose congratulations are in order," Sandstorm quietly mumbled as the elevator started going up. "I've heard that your youngest son was granted admission to U.A."

"That he was," Endeavor offered, a small smirk appearing on his face. "There was no doubt he would make it. Shouto's of my blood. Anything less of an admission to the Hero course would have been . . . less than desirable."

A normal person would have mistaken the Flame Hero's admission as a father praising his son in quite an off-putting way and left it alone after that, but she could sense the disturbing intenseness behind his tone, as if he didn't really care like a father should. Holding that thought to herself, the blonde remained silent as the elevator finally stopped, figuring she would tell her sister about it later.

After the doors slid open, they stepped into an open office space filled with busy heroes, sidekicks, interns, and other staff members. As soon as one sidekick spotted them though, it was like a domino effect occurred, with everyone eventually stopping what they were doing to watch Sandstorm lead Endeavor toward the very back.

"I would think Ice Mist's subordinates would show a bit more poise when there's a guest in the building." Enji couldn't help but grumble, his voice so low that only the woman in front of him would hear it.

Well, she was supposed to. A quick scan of the room revealed that some had immediately looked away as soon as they heard that remark, likely the ones with enhanced hearing _._ On the other hand, those that looked away could have been avoiding his ice-cold stare, not wanting to be caught in his line of sight.

"They are usually quite poised, most of the time," said Sandstorm as she led him around a corner. "It's rare for the group to have such a reaction when a guest like yourself is in the building Enji. Then again, you almost never come here . . . The only other person that has ever managed to make the office fall into a state of silence like this has been All Might himself."

Enji chose to remain silent after hearing that, mainly because he knew if he said anything about it, Sandstorm would relentlessly tease him about it. She was the second born of the Onizaki Four - a term the media coined once all four siblings were thoroughly invested in the hero business - but she was by far the most adept at picking up on his insecurities, well, one noticeably blonde one. Endeavor knew he would doom himself if he said anything that even connected to it, so he kept his mouth shut as the two reached the secretary's desk.

"Your sister has been expecting your arrival Ms. Storm," said the man - a seemingly normal looking being save for the large silver ram horns that grew from his head - as he continued with his work, not even bothering to look up from his papers as he jutted his thumb toward the door behind him.

"Thank you, Capricorn!" she said with a grin as she walked passed him. When she opened the door, she again moved off to the side to let Endeavor enter first, which he quietly did, taking in the room around him before looking toward the woman sitting in the back.

Despite it not being the first time he stepped foot in there, the Flame Hero was still struck by how it wasn't the winter wonderland he expected the room to look like. Instead of snow-white walls, white furniture, and crystalline glass everywhere, he was greeted with a sight that did live up to his expectations in some areas but missed the mark on others. The walls were light blue instead of white, the furniture was in various shades of silver and blue, with a little hint of purple here and there, and the only glass in the room were the windows and the large table Ice Mist was currently sitting at.

Her hero outfit mainly comprised of a bodysuit similar in design to Sandstorm's own. However, unlike the golden-yellow hue that her sister proudly wore, her suit was mist blue in color, with short sleeves that fell a little past her shoulders, long, fingerless, silvery-white gloves and matching knee-high boots, and a pure white, hooded, sleeveless jacket that ended a little past her knees to complete the look.

"Hm, I had a feeling you would come speak to me about the Sunada case one of these days," the lavender-haired hero mumbled as she looked up from her paperwork, her ice blue eyes locking on to his turquoise ones. "Didn't think you would take this long to come though."

"I wanted to exhaust all my other avenues first before coming to see you." said the redhead as he walked up to her desk like he owned the place.

"So, I was your last resort?" she asked as she leaned back in her seat. "Me, and not anyone else?"

"You're the only other hero closely following up on the Sunada Syndicate's dealings. The only one whose leads come close enough to figuring out what that group is up to these days," Endeavor explained. "However, I know you're having trouble putting all the pieces together . . . just like I am."

"Huh, I never thought I would ever hear you concede that you were having trouble with a case," she mumbled as she weaved her fingers together. "And how did you find out I was having trouble anyway?"

"I overheard my son mentioning it while on the phone in the garden. . . He was talking to one of your kids, likely your daughter."

"You overheard him, or did you eavesdrop on him?" Yukiko challenged as she cocked her head to the side.

"Does it matter?" Ice Mist managed to hold back a scowl at the Flame Hero's flippant response, but Sandstorm had no such qualms, visibly shaking her head as she stood close to the door. "Don't you think if Shouto wanted to keep his phone conversations private, he would have taken the call in the privacy of his room instead of the garden, where anyone could have heard him simply by stepping into the area?"

"Hmm, point taken," the woman reluctantly conceded as she shook her head. "Though I highly doubt Shouto would appreciate you actively listening in to his conversations instead of just simply ignoring them."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time." Ice Mist and Sandstorm instantly believed he wouldn't. "Now then, about the Sunada case. . ?"

"I'm willing to share information and cooperate to eventually get it resolved, but you know I'm not going to allow you to immediately take the lead on this one, right?"

"I wouldn't expect anything less from the likes of you." Endeavor mumbled as he shook his head. "Considering the importance of this case, I'm willing to split the work down the middle 50-50."

"Hm, those are agreeable terms. . . When would you like to begin?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, right after lunch," said Endeavor as he started walking back toward the door. "I would have suggested tomorrow morning, but I am participating in a police raid in the Akasuka district in Taitō ward during that time."

"Is that the one to collar the Nakajima brothers?"

"The very same ones . . ." said Endeavor. "Those three have been a nuisance ever since they first appeared on the scene, but I must admit, the efficiency they've displayed in their series of robberies is impressive."

"Says the man who prides himself in his efficiency," the heroine mumbled as the Flame Hero reached her door. Her comment managed to put the faintest smirks on the man's face, and he turned his head to see her leafing through her work again, unable to catch the annoyed look she previously held on her face. "I'll personally come to your agency with what I know. I hope by the time I get there, you'll already be ready to proceed."

"Don't expect anything less." he told her confidently as he grasped the doorknob. "Oh, I guess I should ask. Did your children make it into U.A as well?"

"Did you honestly think they wouldn't?" she asked as she slowly got out of her seat, more to stretch out her back than anything else.

"Knowing the kind of fighter you are and the tenacity you have, I would have been disappointed if they hadn't," he told her as he opened the door. "Despite them being friends, your son and daughter have proven to be quite the adversaries in the sparring matches I've managed to witness between them. They're both quite different in how they fight, which makes it all the better for Shouto in the end . . ."

Shamelessly, he continued on with his little speech. "It would have been a shame if neither of them was accepted. The Number Three hero's own children not making it into the hero course of the most prestigious school in the country; a school their own mother is an alumnus of? The media would have eaten that up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a good week."

"That's true, but technically, wouldn't the situation be the same for you if Shouto was the one that didn't make it in?" Her question instantly shut the man up, a scowl now the dominating feature on his face. "Hell, it likely would have been worse in your case, since you are the Number Two after all."

"As if I ever cared about what the press thought about me," he mumbled, irritated not with her assumption, but with her ability to best him in backtalk. It was something that she was skilled with since their high school days. "Just make sure you're at my agency tomorrow with the info you've gathered! And don't be late!"

"I'll be there!" she called out as he shut the door behind him, the sound of it slamming shut echoing throughout the room. "Such a charmer, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Sandstorm mumbled as she peeled herself off her spot along the wall. "He's as charming as a raging bull in a china shop, or a pack of piranhas ready to chomp your ass if you get too close. Take your pick."

"Hm, you were never his biggest fan anyway Sachiko," said Yukiko, addressing her younger sister by her real name. "And yes, Enji's personality does leave one with a bad taste in their mouth after a while, but still, you can't knock him for his ability to do his job."

"I can't knock him for his ability to do his job, that much is true. However, I will knock him for being dislikable as a person because let's face it. His attitude is terrible," the blonde mumbled, shaking her head. "You should have heard him when I offered my congratulations for Shouto making it into U.A. . . It definitely wasn't the most fatherly of responses."

"Knowing Todoroki after all these years, has he ever acted remotely fatherly to his kids?" Ice Mist mumbled as she pulled her hood over her head, hiding her lavender hair completely. The _"You really want me to answer that?"_ look she was getting from her sibling was all the answer she needed. "Enji does his job well as a hero but being a family man has never been his strong suit. I bet even he'll admit to that if you asked him about it. . . C'mon then, you're joining me for patrol."

"Are we exiting through the front door, or the back?"

"The back of course!" said the woman in blue and white as she opened the door. "Do you really think Endeavor managed to come over here without _anybody_ noticing him?"

"Good point . . . Back it is."

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

 _ **One week before the start of the new semester**_

" _Why the hell did Nedzu decide to have this overview meeting at seven in the fucking morning!?"_ Aizawa mentally grumbled as he stepped past the U.A gate, bone tired from finishing up an all-night patrol an hour earlier. Instead of going straight to his classroom to enjoy some rest in silence, he made his way up to the noisier staff room, hoping to whatever deity was up in the sky that his favorite sofa was unoccupied when he got there.

Luckily for the sleep-deprived Erasure Hero, he didn't run into anybody as he made his way to the room. When he finally reached it, he thought his luck ran out when he saw that someone was already lying in his desired sofa, their head resting on one of the armrests, allowing for their long blonde hair to tumble over it toward the ground.

He originally thought it was Yamada, but quickly corrected himself when he realized that the hair wasn't spiked up, and that it was more pale white than dark blonde.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's a little sleep-deprived this morning," he mumbled as he walked over to the sofa, waving a quick hello to everyone else in the room as he went. When he finally walked around it, he found himself looking down at Shizuna Onizaki's sleeping form, his eyes widening slightly when he realized how cute she looked as she slept.

She was dressed in her hero outfit, but her katana was lying on the ground by her feet, looking like it fell over after having been originally set upright. She was only taking up half the sofa, so Aizawa quickly took the other side for himself before anyone else could think to.

He wasn't quiet enough to not disturb her though, remembering a little too late that the sofa was prone to make loud noises whenever someone sat on it. As soon as he looked up, dark red eyes were sleepily glaring at him. Combined with her swiveling her head so much that hair was falling into her face, Aizawa's couldn't help but be reminded of a cat looking around to find who had had disturbed her rest.

All in all, quite cute indeed.

"Morning Sleepyhead" was the first thing he managed to say as he adjusted his goggles, moving them from the top of his head to place them around his neck, completely hidden by his scarf. It wasn't the smoothest things to start a conversation with, but it worked well enough.

"Well that's rich coming from you," she groggily bit back, talking to him like they were lifelong friends as she slowly got back into a seated position. They had developed an ease with each other as she laid out the lesson plans for the Combat Skills course to him, and Aizawa was quite impressed with her knowledge on the subject. Though the tiny, pissed-at-Nedzu part of him still wished that he was leading it instead of just assisting, he was assured that his incoming class would be in good hands on the subject.

Well, if he didn't expel them first.

He had received an email listing his class roster and their respective quirks a few days ago, and he had to admit. There was some talent among the twenty that were assigned to his care, but there were a few among the bunch that he was . . .

. . . Well, he wouldn't render judgement until he saw them in action first.

"You look about ready to keel over yourself Aizawa." Shizuna added as she let out a small yawn, hiding it behind her gloved hand. "Long night?"

"I just finished an all-night patrol when I remembered that we had this meeting today," he explained as he leaned back into the leather cushions. "What about you? You actually look as tired as me for once, and that's saying something."

"Well, I was in the same boat as you last night, except I was never meant to do it in the first place," she mumbled as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was covering for my brother. . . I'm sure you remember him. The Night Hero: Fangs? He was in the grade behind yours when we were still students."

"Dark gray hair, red eyes, pointy ears, tends to extend his canines when he's irritated about something, being intimidating, or just plain out of habit?"

"That's him!" said Shizuna as she reached down to pick up her weapon. "A training exercise he was helping with at my family's agency went a little haywire. One of the new recruits' quirk allows her to suck energy out of others by touching them with her hands, and she held onto my brother's arm a little too long . . ."

"And it rendered him incapacitated for the night, and he asked you to cover for him." Aizawa safely concluded as he crossed his arms.

"Pretty much!" Shizuna mumbled as she stretched out her neck, working out a few kinks before finishing with one final crack. "Once the patrol was up, I only had enough time to feed my cats before coming here."

"You're a cat owner?" Shouta quickly asked, his eyes slightly widening in surprise. The cat enthusiast within him was ecstatic that there was someone else who was an owner among their motley crew of teachers and staff members. Most of the group were dog lovers, and those who did prefer cats didn't own one because they were either allergic to them or couldn't make the proper time for them.

Aizawa didn't believe the ones that couldn't make the time for them. He honestly believed that if someone like him - who worked as a teacher by day and hero by night, with practically no breaks in between at times! - could make time for cats, then so can anyone else!

"I own two actually. Kaiba and Mokuba, but Kaiba is the older of the two. He's a Russian blue while Mokuba is a Bombay," Shizuna further explained as she pulled out her phone and tapped on the photo icon. She quickly skimmed through her pictures before stopping on one and passing it to him. "They act so brotherly to each other, but unfortunately they will have an urge to start scratching my shit, especially when I'm away for longer than what they're used to."

"They're cute," Aizawa concluded, smirking at the photo of said two cats looking deep into the camera, their curiosity shining like sunbeams. "And as for their scratching problem, you never got them a scratching post?"

"Oh, I got them one alright, but when a cat wants to do what it wants to do, who are we to stop them? Besides, they almost never listen anyway."

"Now isn't that the truth," Aizawa mumbled, his thoughts going back to the Siamese he had at home. "That reminds me; my cat will be meowing up a storm when I get back. I can feel it in my bones."

"Didn't leave enough food for him before you left huh?" Shizuna teased as the Erasure Hero handed her back her phone.

"It's actually a her, and yes. Unlike you, I didn't leave out enough food for her before I left for the night," Shouta grumbled as he looked up at the ceiling. "Which means I should expect the cabinet where I hold all her food in to be an absolute wreck by the time I get back."

"Your big mistake was allowing her the knowledge of where you keep her food in the first place . . . She sounds like quite a handful."

"Siamese cats tend to be quite demanding when they want to be."

"Knowing you, I figured you would have gotten a more easy-going cat, like a ragdoll." said Shizuna, raising as she started stretching out her arms. "Why Siamese?"

"I guess you can say it was a case of love at first cat," he mumbled as he tucked his chin further into his scarf. "When I went to the shelter to adopt, I had already done my research, and I was planning to take my time in picking out a cat, but then I saw Lu, and she was just a little kitty at the time . . ."

"And once she showed off her big, innocent eyes, you were a goner, officially a goner." said the lady in red, speaking like it was fact. The ' _Was it that obvious?_ ' look Aizawa was giving her only cemented her confidence in her conclusion. "Who would have thought the cool and aloof Eraserhead would be such a softie for cats?"

"I'm not embarrassed by that. In fact, I take pride in it," Aizawa admitted, unphased by her words as the sound of the door swinging open reached their ears. When the two turned around, they saw that it was only Hound Dog and Ectoplasm entering the room. While the former was already grumbling up a storm behind his muzzle, the latter was cool as a cucumber as he walked over to his workstation to get some last-minute work done. "Well he doesn't sound very happy . . ."

"Just so we're clear: Are these early morning meetings a regular thing with Nedzu?" Shizuna asked, just as Vlad walked in, looking as terrible as his namesake as he grumpily made his way over to the coffee machine.

"Not really; the earliest he's ever called a meeting is 9:00 . . . I don't know why he changed it up now, but knowing him, mixing up the schedule after the rest of us have gotten used to it would be something very in character for him," Aizawa mumbled as the two witnessed Vlad suddenly getting violent with the machine, shoving it so hard that it almost toppled over. "We're out of coffee, aren't we?"

"If we weren't, I would have already had a mug in my hand, my mood three times lighter than it is right now." Shizuka immediately mumbled, the two watching as Vlad trudged away from the machine before he did any more damage. "That machine is completely empty, as if no one has stocked it to begin with."

"It hasn't been restocked since yesterday morning!" said Ectoplasm, not even looking up from his computer screen. ". . . Just to let y'all know!"

"Who's on coffee machine duty anyway?" Shizuna mumbled as she got up from her seat.

"Power Loader was on coffee machine duty last week. Whoever comes after him on the list is next up!" answered Hound Dog, managing to sound coherent through all his dog-like grumbling.

Since the machine was shared by all the U.A. staff members that drank coffee, a schedule was made to make sure that each coffee drinker on the list had a turn at cleaning, restocking, and maintaining it each week. When Shizuna and All Might joined the staff, All Might declined a spot on the list, but Shizuna quickly joined the roster, sliding in right after Midnight.

With a small yawn, the Onizaki scion made her way over to the list and scanned the names, scowling when she found the name right after Loader's. At the sound of the door opening again, she turned her head to see Present Mic and Midnight walking in, already in mid-conversation with each other. They were totally oblivious to the sudden tension in the room.

Well, thanks to Shizuna, they wouldn't be oblivious for long.

"Mic, you're on machine duty this week. Why the fucking hell have you not done your job yet?!"

"My job?!" Hizashi suddenly asked, a sudden chill running up his spine as he looked to where the voice was coming from. When she found Shizuna standing by the list, she simply pointed toward the machine. Things finally clicked into place when he looked at the machine, realizing too late that he erred on something crucial for the harmony of the teaching staff.

Now fearing for his safety, he slowly turned his head around to see that everyone's eyes were on him. None of them looked pleased with the Voice Hero, even Aizawa, who was on the verge of activating his quirk, mainly to make sure that Mic didn't let out an ear shattering shriek of terror more than anything else.

Midnight, the only hero with a cup of coffee in hand, was watching the entire scene with quiet amusement.

"Hmm, I see that someone's in big trouble," she couldn't help but tease, twisting the knife in the wound as she moved away from the blonde, leaving him to the others' mercy. "How's the morning been treating you all everyone?"

"It hasn't been treating me well!" called Vlad as he slowly made his way over to the blonde. It was obvious that he was the most irritated over the entire coffee situation, looking ready to smack some sense into the radio DJ.

"I've been busy!" called Ectoplasm, who didn't move from his seat, but was watching with rapt attention the skirmish that was likely to unfold.

"I've had better mornings. Better, less sleep-depriving mornings," Aizawa further added as he unleashed his capture weapon, wrapping it around his friend before he could book it to the door. "Explain yourself Hizashi!"

"He, I got a little too busy prepping for the new semester, and there's also my radio show and hero work to deal with . . . Well, I guess you can say the coffee machine just slipped my mind?" he pitifully mumbled. His answer wasn't good enough for Vlad or Aizawa, the latter now with his quirk activated as he stared down his old friend. "C'MON MAN! Don't look at me like that! I just stretched myself a little too thin, that's all. . .You haven't skipped on your coffee duties before?"

"Nope." said the raven-haired hero. "Never have!"

"I have a perfect record." said Ectoplasm, who still hadn't moved from his seat.

"Everyone has a perfect or near-perfect record!" said Vlad as he crossed his thick arms. "Everyone, except you Mic. You're the repeat offender of the group . . . That's got to change, and it's got to change _quickly_."

"What's got to change?"

Everyone turned their heads to see Nedzu standing in the doorway, with All Might and Snipe standing right behind him as if they were his bodyguards. The Symbol of Peace was in his weaker form, looking quite amused at the scene before them. As for Snipe, you couldn't really tell due to the mask he always wore.

"Yamada hasn't been keeping up at his turn on coffee machine duty again hasn't he?" Snipe helpfully asked as he looked around the group, getting a combined head shake in the affirmative in return. "I always knew this reckoning was coming . . ."

"So have I," said Nedzu, his answer making the vocal hero facepalm into the ground, somehow not breaking his sunglasses with the impact. "Unfortunately, you'll have to save this intervention for later. It's time for the meeting."

"But what about our coffee?!" Vlad whined as the principal started walking away. It was strange to see the big man in red whine like a petulant school girl, though he didn't actually sound anything like one.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I knew it was Yamada's turn on coffee duty this week, and knowing him, I was sure he'd mess it up somehow. So, I had a local coffee shop deliver some coffee and breakfast items to remedy the situation. They're waiting for us up in the meeting room right now."

Most of the room had made a beeline past him before the last sentence could even leave his mouth. The only ones remaining were Ectoplasm, Aizawa, Shizuna, Midnight, Mic, and Nedzu himself, the latter smirking as he looked out into the hallway.

"Never get between a hero and his coffee, I guess. Aizawa, you can let Mic go now" the bear creature cheerily ordered as he looked at the two, the latter still wrapped up in the former's scarf.

"Sure." said the man, finally releasing his old friend, but not without a poignant glare sent his way first. Mic quickly got back to his feet before jogging away, shooting a grateful glance to Nedzu before following Ectoplasm out the door.

"Midnight, mind going after him? I have a feeling Vlad still isn't happy about Mic's lapse in coffee maintenance."

"Sure thing. Hopefully, he won't _punish_ him too bad for his error."

Shouta and Shizuna couldn't help but blankly stare at the woman, who knew full well that what she just said sounded very sexual, befitting of her hero theme. Nedzu betrayed no emotion as he watched her leave, shaking his head as he turned back around to face the two remaining.

"She's been like that since we were students, right?" Shizuna asked as she turned to the Erasure Hero. Shouta simply shook his head in the affirmative, not even bothering to voice a response. "You don't think she was that provocative when she was a kid do ya?"

"Oh, I so hope not!" Aizawa was quick to say, his statement and grimacing face earning him a laugh from the small principal easily. He had never thought about Nemuri's past in that way, and never wants to, ever. "I don't even want to think about it. It's too creepy a thought."

"I'm sure Nemuri was quite an _adventurous_ kid growing up," Nedzu couldn't help but add, his comment doing what he hoped for as soon as he saw Aizawa's pale face drain even further. Sometimes he liked making the naturally composed man in black uncomfortable, just a little. "Anyway, speaking of adventurous kids. Aizawa, have you managed to look through your class roster yet?"

"I did, and I must say. They seem like quite a bunch," he mumbled as the three stepped into the hallway. "Out of the six recommended students we took in this year, four of them were put in my class, and all of them are from prolific hero families . . . I'm sure Vlad was a little put off by that."

"Correct. The heiress of the Yaoyorozu family, as well Endeavor's youngest son, and Ice Mist's twins will be your students once the semester starts, and for good reason . . . I hope you teach them well," said the crossbreed creature as he crossed his arms behind his back. "The idea of splitting the twins between Classes A and B did come up during the final evaluations, but the skills they displayed during the recommendation exam led the judges and I to conclude that they would be better served under your tutelage than Vlad's, Aizawa. . . Don't worry, I talked to him about this already, and yes, he was a little, well, irritated about this development, but once I explained the situation to him, he understood fully."

"Huh, I'm honored, I guess," the raven-haired man mumbled, his statement getting a " _That didn't sound like you were honored_ " look from the woman right next to him, aka, the aunt of two of his recommended students. "Shizuna, I hope you don't mind me asking this, but it would be too advantageous of me not too. Honestly, how are your niece and nephew as students?"

"Academically, they're usually top of the pack, with Yukino ranking higher than her brother most of the time. Behavior-wise, I'll let you decide once you meet them. However, I must warn you now. Daisuke's quirk gives him cat-like attributes, and sometimes things that sets normal cats off may occasionally set him off."

"Like what?" Aizawa couldn't help but ask, curious about his new feline-addled student. Plus, as a cat person who has met people with cat quirks in the past, he was curious to see how the boy was different from the others.

"Well, he's grown out of most of them by this point, so it doesn't really matter per se," she mumbled as she brought a hand to her chin. "Just don't bring a laser pointer to class, will ya? If you can catch him completely off guard, he's like putty in your hands once he sees that red dot on the wall. But that's only if you can catch him completely off guard, which is very rare."

"If he's going to be a proper hero, he'll need to grow out of that habit, even if it barely affects him these days" said Nedzu as he started moving ahead. "A hero can't be distracted so easily."

"Isn't that the truth . . ." Aizawa mumbled, nodding in agreement, mumbling that statement for the second time that morning. The two watched the little dog-mouse-bear man turn the corner before looking at each other, the underground hero now with a sudden conspiratorial smirk on his face. "Okay, is it wrong for me to say that I'm actually thinking of bringing a laser pointer to class, just to see how he'll react for myself? Don't worry, I wouldn't out you for telling me this in the first place. I'm just a bit curious over the whole thing."

"Careful Shouta, your enthusiasm for cats is showing . . . As I mentioned before, it's harder to catch him off guard these days, so I don't know how he'll react if you actually tried that in class. You would be opening yourself to plenty of questions from your students though, and I don't think you really want to deal with that just yet. . . However, I do have a video of the time I got him with the pointer trick when he was 10. I'll show you it after the meeting." she told him with a grin as she started moving forward. "Now then, let's get moving. I'm sure Nedzu wouldn't appreciate us running late for his meeting."

"NO, I WOULDN'T!" the principal cheerily yelled from around the corner. "LET'S GO PLEASE!?"

"You see?" Shizuna mumbled as she started jogging ahead.

"I hope they didn't run out of coffee up there already. . . That would make my day go south really quick. I just know it," the Erasure Hero mumbled, his face unreadable as he followed after her, trying not to hard to focus on how good Shizuna looked from the back. "Then again, maybe this meeting won't be so bad after all."

* * *

 **A/N: So, filler chapter is done, and next chapter we move on to the first day at U.A! I managed to mention the names of Yukiko and Shizuna's other siblings, and you all got introduced to the third sibling in Sachiko, aka Sandstorm. Their brother Fangs will appear sometime later in the story** **.**

 **Didn't you just like Aizawa and Shizuna bonding over their shared l** **ove** **of cats? Felines really do have a way of bringing people together.**

 **Also, I hoped you all enjoyed the interaction between Endeavor and some of the Onizaki sisters, as well as some silliness on Hizashi's behalf. (Yeah, I couldn't help myself with the latter.) I seriously hope I got Enji's characterization relatively correct. If not, mention it in a comment will ya please? I did debate having Yukino and Daisuke split between the two Hero courses, but I decided to not do it for the sake of . . . relationships, I guess. (o.0)**

 **There're 20 students usually in each Hero class, and I'm going to keep that number for this story, but I am moving two original 1-A members out and putting them in 1-B, which means two original 1-B members will be cast out and left in the unknown. (Sorry canon Class 1-B). One I feel is more obvious than the other - *coughMinetacough*. The other, well, you may not** **"** **see" coming.**

 **Yes, that was me trying (probably failing) at being punny.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading, and look out for the next chapter. SandsnakeQueen out!**

 **P.S. Did anyone catch the Yu-Gi-Oh reference?**


	5. First Day, First Impressions

**A/N: Alright! We've made it to** **the** **first day at U.A. High, which means Class 1-A will finally make their full debut, somewhat . . .**

 **We'll have to wait and see, I guess** **.** **XD**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4** \- First Day, First Impressions

"Yukino! Are you awake in there?!"

"NO!" the teen yelled, not ready to face the day as she folded her pillow around her head like a soft-shell taco. It was the morning of her first day of high school, and even though she was eager to start this new chapter in her life, Yukino was never eager to wake up early in the morning.

She also didn't help her case by practicing some new techniques with her quirk into the wee hours of the night.

"It's time for you to get ready hon . . . You don't want to be late for your first day of school, do you?"

Yukino scowled at that, knowing her mother made a good point. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, closing them once she realized her violet gaze was in direct contact with the sunlight slipping in through her uncovered window.

" _Damn, I forgot to close my curtains before I went to bed!"_ she thought as she blindly slipped off her mattress. After tripping twice on her rug, Yukino reached the window and slid the curtains closed. Taking in a deep breath, she turned around, her eyes now open to properly see her darkened room, and her messy, yet welcoming bed.

"It's so inviting, but I have plans today and they won't get done if I stay in here all day," the white-haired teen conceded as she grabbed hold of the bed sheet. Ignoring the childish need to jump back into it and sleep the day away, Yukino, quickly and efficiently, made her bed before moving on to straighten up the rest of her room.

By the time her mother poked her head into the room fifteen minutes later, Yukino was at her closet, pulling out her new standard-issue U.A. High uniform, her room now in a less-disheveled state than it was when she first woke up.

The sight of it all brought a smirk to the older woman's face.

"Hm, seeing that uniform brings back so many memories, both good and bad," she whispered, her comment earning her a curious glance from her daughter. "Those three years were a crazy time for me and your father."

"It's been a while since you recounted some of your high school stories. You should share them more often. I'm sure they'll make for a great story hour," Yukino mumbled as she turned her gaze back to the outfit. "I'm still not sold on the coloring though . . ."

"Hey! Don't diss the uniform! Many famous heroes have worn it before you will today, me, your father, and All Might included." Yukiko playfully scolded her as her lips stretched into a grin.

"You make a good point, but I'm still not sold on the colors." said the white-haired teen as she walked over to her dresser.

"Neither was I, but I got used to it over time . . . But enough about me and my high school days. You need to bathe and get ready! You don't want to keep your guests waiting on you now, do you?"

"Guests? We have guests?" Yukino asked as the Cold Hero stepped into the hallway. "What do you mean by 'guests' Ma?"

"You know what I mean perfectly well. Now, go get ready! Your brother's already downstairs with our visitors!"

"Well, he's always been an early riser. . ." Yukino mumbled under her breath, retreating back into her room as she mulled over who the "visitors" could be. When she was finally washed, dressed, and ready to go, she grabbed her dark violet backpack, exited her room, and made her way downstairs.

After dropping off her bag in the living room, Yukino walked over to the kitchen, her eyes widening slightly as she stepped through the doorway to see three familiar figures sitting at the island.

"Morning sis!" Daisuke called out while simultaneously stopping Natsuo from stealing a piece of his omelet roll from off his plate. He had struck him in the fingers with his chopsticks, making the white-haired university student yelp in pain as he clutched his fingers. "Get your own damn omelet roll man! Stop trying to steal from me!"

"Sorry! I thought I was being discreet this time!" Natsuo mumbled as he massaged some feeling back into his sore appendages. He looked to Shouto for help, but the dual-haired teen was silent as an empty room, focusing his attention on the bowl of miso he held. "Thanks for the help little brother!"

"What could I have done? You only have yourself to blame Natsuo, and besides, did you really think you could get away with a fast one against the guy with the best hearing at this table? Plus, saying 'I thought I was being discreet this time' does not help your case in anyway."

"You should listen to your brother Natsuo. His points are very valid." Daisuke sagely advised as the family's Egyptian Mau, Nami, jumped on to the table. As soon as she started meowing, his sage expression turned into a scowl. "No, you're not getting my omelet either Nami!"

The cat meowed more, looking up at the blue-haired teen with innocent greenish eyes as she started patting his arm with her paws, incessantly - yet futilely - trying to plead her case.

"Why you ask?" he grumbled, sounding indignant as he narrowed his eyes at the feline. "Because I gave you some yesterday, and you still insisted on clinging to my pants before I could leave the house, even though you know I hate it when you do that . . . This is a new uniform I'm wearing, and I don't need you ruining it with your claws before my first day even begins, so don't you dare think about it Nami! I'm warning you now!"

". . . Wow! You definitely showed her Daisuke. Way to stand up for yourself!" Natsuo cackled, succumbing to his laughter as Nami defeatedly moved away. He stopped when the cat was now looking at him with expectant eyes, now realizing that she was expecting him to feed her now. "What? You think I'm going to give my breakfast to you now that Daisuke denied you? Mrs. Onizaki's cooking is the main reason why I showed up here this morning Nami. I don't plan on sharing my breakfast, so better luck next time little kitty!"

"Oh, so that's why you two showed up here this morning. You're just too lazy to cook for yourselves, is that it?" Yukino asked as she sat down opposite of Shouto.

"No, that's not what I said, so stop putting words in my mouth!" said Natsuo, pouting as he watched the girl pull the lone cloche-covered plate over to herself. "I said your mom's cooking was the main reason why **I** showed up."

"And Shouto just decided to follow you because, why not?" asked Daisuke as Yukino uncovered her plate. She cut her fish in pieces and offered one to Nami, who had walked over to her after having no luck with Shouto. She meowed in glee before taking it, jumping off the table, and then running out the room, bypassing an incoming Yukiko as she was walking in. "Judging from that last meow, I'd say you just made Nami's day sis."

"Good . . . You know, it's nice that I have a brother who can speak with cats. They're such mysterious creatures that we still have no clue about, but it's nice to know that there are people like Daisuke out there that are ready to reveal their secrets," came Yukino's rather sarcastic reply as she turned to her food. "Hey, if heroism doesn't work out for you Dai, you could always work as a cat translator, or is cat whisperer more to your liking?"

"Ah, I was wondering when Yukino's sarcastic wit would make an appearance . . . If you ask me, cat whisperer sounds so much better," Natsuo added, earning him a glare from Daisuke's stern eyes. "What? It just rolls off the tongue better, don't you think?!"

The cat teen simply shook his head before finishing up the last of his omelet. As the teens continued eating, Yukiko flitted around the kitchen, sweeping and dusting the area before moving her attention to the dirty dishes that awaited her in the sink. She was halfway done when she turned her head to see her daughter holding up four empty plates in her hands, a slightly apologetic look crossing her face.

"I would help, but we have to go. Don't want to miss our train and all." she mumbled as she handed the dishes over.

"Don't feel bad about it. Besides, it's the simple things like housework that help me regain a sense of normalcy after a long day of hero work." she told her as Shouto came over with the rest of the utensils.

"Still though; you've made so much money already over the years. Why don't you just sit back, relax, and hire a maid?" Natsuo asked, a sudden chill - figuratively and literally - running down his spine when he saw four sets of eyes on him. "What!? I thought it was an innocent question!"

"Please excuse my brother. Sometimes he speaks without thinking first." Shouto quietly mumbled as he turned to the Cold Hero.

"It's fine Shouto, and I do understand the reasoning behind his question," Yukiko mumbled as she took the utensils from him. "When you have spent years visiting crime scenes, protecting the innocent, and stopping superpowered villains, you realize you can never have a full sense of normalcy that regular citizens enjoy. Being a hero is a rewarding pursuit, and I don't regret pursuing it, but it does mean that I had to make sacrifices in order to commit to it, like having a full, normal personal life."

"You feel it the most when you're a Top 10 hero like me and your father Natsuo. Law enforcement, the media, the fans . . . It seems the higher you're ranked, the more you're needed. For me, the hero life can get so hectic at times that I just want to do something normal to counteract it, something to bring me back down to earth. Doing housework, being with my family, reading that book I've been trying to get around to these past few weeks . . . Hm, it's good being Ice Mist, but it's nice to revert back into good ol' Yukiko once the day's over." she mumbled as she picked up the sponge and started washing, giving the teens a moment to think about her words.

Since Natsuo had no interest in becoming a pro-hero, he couldn't fully relate to the woman's words, but he was a witness to someone who didn't think about their hero work in the way that she did. His father didn't seem to see his job like the hectic yet rewarding pursuit that she did in the slightest. He reveled in his hero work, seemingly preferring it to his personal life by a mile, which was something that his children didn't mind these days.

As for the teens that were pursuing the life of a pro-hero, it made them stop and think about some of the major implications and unavoidable risks that heroism held. Yukiko's words also happened to reveal another major difference between herself and the Flame Hero, and for Shouto specifically, it laid bare another major shortcoming of his father, another reason to dislike the man.

"So, doing the normal stuff regular citizens like myself tend to take for granted is pretty much your way of decompressing yourself and taking a break from all the hero stuff you face every day huh?" Natsuo concluded, his face inquisitive as he thought over her words.

"Exactly!" she called over her shoulder. "I hope that wasn't hard to understand though."

"Don't worry Mrs. Onizaki. You were perfectly clear," said the teen as he jumped out of his seat. ". . . And thank you for the honest response. Trust me, it was enlightening to hear."

"I'm still curious to know why you asked though?" Daisuke couldn't help but ask as he grabbed a water bottle from out the fridge.

"I just wanted some insight, that's all. I'm a college student studying medical welfare. Can you blame me for being curious about the psyche of pro-heroes?" said the teen, his face a little more serious than usual. The pro-hero and now-high school freshmen all noticed the sudden change in his demeanor, but before any of them could comment on it, Natsuo's slightly goofy grin was back on his face. "Now c'mon you three! We better leave now or else we'll miss our trains!"

"Hold up! Wait a minute!" Yukiko called before they could even face the exit. When they all turned around, they watched as she hastily dried her hands on a kitchen towel before pulling out her phone. "I need to take the annual first day of school photo first!"

"Is it really necessary though?" Yukino asked as Natsuo childishly pushed Daisuke and Shouto together. They both glared at him, but didn't bother to fight back, mainly because if he hadn't pushed them together, then Ice Mist most certainly would. "We do this every year!"

"And we will continue to do so until I decide not to, or until you graduate. . . Besides, this is your first day as high school students! How could I not?!"

"She makes a good point." Shouto conceded as the woman guided her daughter over to the boys, setting her right in between Shouto and Daisuke before backing away. The Cold Hero quickly took a few shots before signaling that she was done, a smirk lining her face as she tapped away at the screen.

"Who are you sending them to this time?" Daisuke mumbled as the group walked into the living room, Yukiko following right behind them.

"Only to two people," she told him as she put away her phone. "Your father wanted to be here to see you off, but he got called in to work at the university for an emergency staff meeting, so he'll just have to settle with the photos this year."

"Who's the other?" asked Natsuo, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Your sister of course!" said the lavender-haired woman as the teens grabbed their bags. "She was hoping to get a photo of Shouto in his uniform before he left, but you two were long gone before she could even get ready. She sent me a text asking for photos as soon as she realized what happened . . . Now that I think about it. Shouto never did say why he followed you over here Natsuo."

"Oh, so you did overhear that then," the red-and-white teen mumbled as he looked up at the older woman, who stared back at him with a knowing gaze. "Ok, if you really want to know, I followed Natsuo over here to avoid my father."

"Let me guess: didn't want to hear your old man give you advice that probably would have done more harm than good?" she asked as she walked the four over to the front door.

"Exactly . . . Um, am I really that transparent?" Shouto mumbled as he put on his sneakers, a little awed that the woman's guess was so on the nose. When he was done, he looked up to see four sets of eyes looking at him with the bluntest stares on their faces.

Now he knew how Natsuo felt earlier after asking the maid question. "Really? I really am?"

"Trust me Shou. You're very hard to read to anyone who doesn't know you too well, and that can be or good or bad depending on the situation. . . However, when it comes to us, the people that have known you for _years_ , you're pretty much like an open book sometimes." Daisuke mumbled as he slid on his shoes, just as the house's landline started to ring. "What the? You think that's Fuyumi calling about the photos?"

"That can't be! She would have called one of your cellphones if it was her. They're much more convenient than the landlines anyway." Natsuo argued as Yukiko picked up the phone from off a nearby table. "Maybe it's someone from her agency?"

"Probably. . ." Yukino mumbled as they watched her mother answer the call, her eyes rolling immediately as soon as she heard the voice on the other end. "Maybe not . . ."

"Good morning to you too Enji!" the Cold Hero managed to say without any bite to her voice, the mention of their father's first name instantly making the Todoroki brothers tense up. "Uh, no, I haven't seen Shouto all morning. Daisuke mentioned that he and Yukino were going to meet him at the train station before heading off to U.A. . . I'm sorry you missed him. I'm sure you two had plenty to talk about."

"Did your mom just **lie** to our dad?" Natsuo asked, both in awe and shock at the woman's bravado. "Now that's ballsy! It's a risk that many don't dare to take with our old man, for various reasons, but in instances like this, it must be respected."

"I actually agree with Natsuo on this one . . . I honestly didn't expect this from her," Shouto added as Yukiko ended the call, breathing out a deep sigh of relief before walking back over to them. "Why did you lie to him?"

"Well, sometimes you just have to say a little white lie to avoid doing something you don't want to do. . . As a hero and a parent, this is something that I'm supposed to frown on, but I seriously didn't want to speak to your father right now."

"Is this because of the Sunada case you two have been working on recently Ma?" Yukino mumbled as she pulled a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Maybe . . ." was all she said, but the irritated look that lined her pale face told them everything they needed to know on the subject. Shouto and Natsuo instantly shot her apologetic looks, well, mainly Natsuo did. Shouto's face was part blank, part deadpan. ". . . Now then, you guys need to get a move on. I don't think your father believed my lie, so you need to leave now before he actually decides to come over to see if you're still here."

"Do you think he would even go that far?" Yukino mumbled, but after taking a quick second to think about it, she started scowling. "You know what? Never mind; he's the kind of person that would do such a thing."

"Agreed, now let's go! If I see red hair and flames coming around the corner, I'm running to the station and leaving your butts behind!" Natsuo cried out as he walked out the door. Shouto followed after him but slowed when he realized that the twins weren't behind him.

When he turned his head, he saw that Yukino and Daisuke were being crushed in a last-minute hug by their mother. Both looked a little embarrassed about it, especially when they realized that Shouto was watching them, but the Todoroki scion simply shook his head as he turned around to give them their privacy.

However, before he could even move another step, a pair of arms were suddenly wrapped around his frame, holding him still in a surprisingly strong grip. It wasn't until he saw the strands of lavender hair coming into his view did he realized that Yukiko was hugging him too.

"Did you really think that I would leave you out of this Shouto? We may not share the same blood, but I still consider you, and your siblings, a part of the family. Never forget that." Yukiko advised as the twins walked ahead of him, both of them smirking in return as they watched the sudden hug fest.

In that moment, Shouto couldn't help the flushed look that formed on his face. He may have been sheepish in the face of Daisuke's childish grin and Yukino's pleased gaze, but he couldn't help but appreciate the sentiment behind the woman's action.

He just wished it didn't remind him of the pain of missing his own mother.

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

"So, what do you think our new classmates will be like? Any guesses?" Daisuke asked as they walked through the school's main entrance, finally breaking through the tense silence that had followed the three since they left the train station. There were groups of students all around them in the lobby, mostly chattering amongst themselves about who knows what?

"I honestly do not know. Your guess is as good as mine at this point." Shouto steadily answered, his gaze steely as he looked around the room. "Yukino?"

"I'm not so sure either. At this point, the only thing I know for certain is that Momo's going to be in our class as well, and that's it." she quietly answered as she fiddled with her braid. When she felt like she was being watched, she turned to see her brother looking at her. "What?"

"How in the world do you know that Yaoyorozu is in our class?" the cat boy asked as they walked toward the elevators.

"Because I talk to her?" Yukino answered, speaking as if she was asking a question as the three jogged into an open empty cart before its doors slid closed. "Momo and I exchanged numbers after the recommendation exam. She thought it would be a good idea, especially if we both got accepted. Of course, Momo ended up being right. She called me about her acceptance letter as soon as she got it in the mail."

"And you didn't bother to tell us about this development until now. Huh, way to keep a secret sis . . . Well, at least I'll know someone else in this class that aren't you two." Daisuke mumbled as he pressed the button for their floor.

"What's that supposed to mean little brother?!"

Shouto ignored the siblings' bantering as the elevator started to rise, his thoughts going back to what happened during dinner last night. Fuyumi had decided to cook his favorite food to not only celebrate him getting into U.A, but to also celebrate him starting the next chapter of his life as a high school student. Natsuo thought she was being a little over dramatic with the entire thing, especially since they had celebrated already on the day Shouto got his acceptance letter, but one quick whack from her spoon was enough to silence him before he could speak anymore on the subject.

Unfortunately, last night's dinner was one of the few that their father managed to be on time for. The festive atmosphere Fuyumi was hoping for died once Endeavor stepped into the foyer, and the dinner itself was awkward for all involved. Fuyumi tried to play mediator, but Natsuo wouldn't bring himself to even make eye contact with the turquoise-eyed living bonfire, and Shouto simply acted like his father wasn't even there to begin with.

For his sake, Endeavor managed to keep talk to a minimal, but when he did speak, he only addressed Shouto, completely ignoring his other siblings. Despite the attention, the youngest Todoroki wouldn't give him the satisfaction and left for his room as soon as he was done his meal, but not before thanking his sis for dinner first.

He knew when to mind his manners, but only with those that actually deserved that kind of respect.

Shouto knew his father wasn't going to let his willing ignorance of him stand for long. He was bound to confront him about it one of these days, but the half-and-half teen still didn't want to deal with him, not just yet.

Natsuo was the one that ended up giving him a way out. Before he went to bed, his brother stopped by his door, inviting him to go with him to the Onizakis for breakfast the next day.

Come next morning, the two brothers were dressed and out the door before their father even had a chance to wake up.

"Yo! Shouto!?"

"Huh?" the dual-haired teen asked, looking up to see the siblings staring at him as he stood alone in the elevator.

"Are you coming to class with us or what?" Daisuke asked, his eyebrow raised in challenge. "Or do you plan on taking the elevator back down for some reason?"

"Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a minute." he told them as he joined them in the hallway.

"I'm guessing it's not because of first day jitters." Yukino kindly assumed as they made their way down the hallway, Daisuke now in the lead.

"It's not that. . . I was thinking about dinner last night. My sister wanted to celebrate me getting into U.A, again, and my father was actually on time for it this go around. . . It was not a festive experience."

"Endeavor does tend to be a bit of a killjoy . . . So, was that why you and Natsuo showed up at our doorstep so bright and early this morning?"

Shouto nodded. "Knowing my father, he's going to confront me for my disobedience yesterday, but I don't want to deal with him just yet."

"That's understandable. I wouldn't want to wake up to my father yelling at me to notice him in the morning either," Yukino added with a quick shake of her head, the very image that it conjured earning her a small chuckle from her brother. "Still, your father isn't one for giving up so easily."

"I know, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy every precious moment of peace and quiet I have until then . . . And what the hell is up with this door?"

Shouto's eyes actually widened at what was standing in front of the three. They had finally reached their homeroom, but the sight of the door instantly brought them to a grinding halt. Simply put, the door was huge.

Absolutely _**huge**_!

"Damn this is huge . . . Ok, best guess: they had students that didn't fit the specs for standard-sized doors in the past, and wanting them to be more comfortable, the school decided to address the issue so that no other instances of absurdly tall students smacking their foreheads against the top of the doorway ever happened again." Daisuke helpfully suggested; his eyes wide in disbelief as he looked up at the huge slab of wood with the phrase "1-A" written on the front in red paint.

"That does sound plausible . . ." Shouto mumbled as he continued to look at the door in awe.

"I hope so," Daisuke mumbled. "You could have a second me standing on my shoulders and it still wouldn't be enough to reach the top for crying out loud!"

"Wait, Daisuke? Is that you?!"

"Wait a sec . . . Yaoyorozu?" Daisuke called out, the sound of her voice breaking the three out of their momentary shock. The door quickly slid open to reveal the heiress, a smile lining her face as she looked at the three with a smile.

"I knew I recognized your voice!" said Momo as she clasped her hands together. "It's good to see you guys again!"

"It's nice to see you too Momo," said Yukino as Shouto offered her a simple wave. "How long have you been here?"

"I arrived about fifteen minutes ago actually. I wanted to pick out a good seat, but it turns out the seating has already been pre-arraigned."

"Well, that bites I guess. . . So much for my chances for sitting in the back," Daisuke mumbled, disappointed. "Anyway, where were you assigned to sit Yaoyorozu?"

"I was given Seat 20, which means I'm stuck in the far corner, right by the windows," said Momo as she pointed to said chair in the back. There were only a couple other students in the room, including one whose head was that of a raven's own, and a blonde sitting in the very front looking off to who knows where. "Honestly, I don't think it's going to be all that bad, considering I have you and Todoroki as my closest neighbors Daisuke."

"Really?" Shouto asked as Daisuke looked at her in slight disbelief. "How so?"

"Well Todoroki, you've been assigned to Seat 15, so you're sitting directly on my right, and Daisuke got Seat 19, which means he's right in front of me."

"I see. Well then, if you don't mind, I'll just apologize to you now for all the times my ears will obstruct your view of the board." said Daisuke, slightly sheepish as his cat ears slightly dipped. Momo accepted his apology kindly enough, and even thought his cat ears were kinda cute.

She never verbally admitted it though, but she was definitely thinking it.

As for Daisuke, he was mentally doing a happy dance, for being seated relatively in the back or sitting close to Momo, no one will truly know.

"Wait a minute, if Shouto's sitting right next to you, and my brother is sitting right in front of you, then where the hell am I sitting?" Yukino couldn't help but ask as she raised an eyebrow. "I doubt I've been assigned to the back like you guys were."

"You've been assigned Seat 16 Yukino. You're in the same column as Daisuke and me, but you're in the very front row." Momo helpfully answered, her response not something that Yukino was hoping to hear. "Something wrong?"

"I'm stuck in the first row. Do you know what that means?" the white-haired girl asked as her shoulders slumped. "I'm in our teacher's crosshairs practically at all times. I'm going to be called on a lot . . . I can feel it."

"That shouldn't be too bad for you Yukino. You're one of the smartest people I know, so you should be fine. . ." Shouto mumbled as the four stepped into the room. "Don't you think you're overreacting a little bit?"

"As someone that has been assigned to the first row before, I can understand where you're going with this sis. However, I think Shouto makes a fair point," Daisuke added. "You don't have to be so dramatic . . . Who knows? Maybe our homeroom teacher will be one of those very lax ones with a lenient side."

"Somehow, I seriously doubt that."

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

 _ **Twenty minutes later**_

"So, is introducing yourself to your new class while tucked in your sleeping bag a yearly tradition for you Aizawa?"

"Only when I'm really sleep deprived Onizaki." said the raven-haired man as he rolled - yes, he _literally rolled_ \- himself down the hallway, the katana wielding woman following close behind with an amused expression on her face. "I do this on occasion to see how quick my students will quiet down once they see me. The faster they're quiet, the quicker I can start the lesson."

"Makes sense, I think, but is that the only reason though?" Shizuna challenged as she kept one hand on the handle of her blade. "You sure you don't also do it just to see the freaked-out expressions on the students' faces once they see you in your little cocoon of comfort? C'mon, you must admit it. In a school where the students are expected to learn about the ins and outs of being a hero, the last thing they'll expect to see is one of the homeroom teachers pulling up to the classroom cosplaying as a caterpillar."

"Cocoon of comfort? I actually like the sound of that . . ." said Aizawa, completely ignoring her other remarks in favor of that particular phrase. In truth, he actually did like freaking out his students by showing up in his sleeping bag. It just wasn't something he was willing to openly admit though.

Add that to the list of things that Aizawa will never admit in his life.

"You know, if you want, I could get you one . . . Trust me: balancing heroism and teaching can really hurt your sleep schedule, and a sleeping bag is a handy thing to have when you want to take a quick nap."

"I'm shocked no one has called you out on it though, even if it is necessary in your case . . . It's a tempting offer, but I think I'm going to pass for now. If Mic can juggle teaching, his radio show, and heroism, then I'm certain I can handle two of those things just fine. Then again, I may take you up in that offer further down in the year, so keep that in mind will ya?" Shizuna ranted as she looked up at a clock nearby. "Now then, if we're going to get to your class on time, we better pick up the pace."

"Moving in a sleeping bag isn't the easiest thing in the world you know . . . I can only roll so fast."

"Don't worry. I have an easy solution to your problem," said the blonde as she crouched down. Before the Erasure Hero could even voice a protest, Shizuna had him up on her shoulder, a smirk lining her face as she continued down the hallway. "See! Easy peasy!"

"How strong are you woman?!" Aizawa grumbled, feeling slightly emasculated at how easily he was picked up in the first place. He always knew that Shizuna was a lot stronger than she looked. It was evident to him since high school, having watched her throw around people twice her size with ease. Considering the gap between then and now, he couldn't help but honestly wonder how strong she's gotten in that time, but for now, he was glad no one else was seeing him in his current predicament.

Knowing Mic, if he was witnessing this right now, he would have had his phone already out videotaping the entire thing. He would have had the video on the faculty group chat by the end of the day guaranteed.

"I'm a lot stronger than I look; stronger since we were teenagers Aizawa. That's all I will tell you for now," said Shizuna as they continued on their trek. "Now be quiet and enjoy the ride. Besides, I thought you'd be happy that someone is willingly carrying you to class. A tired soul like you need all the rest they could get . . . If it helps, I'll let you down as soon as your homeroom is in my sights."

"Fine, but make it quick. I seriously don't want to run into anyone right now," Aizawa mumbled as they reached the end of the hallway. As soon as they turned the corner, his eyes slightly widened when he realized he was being put back down. "Well that was quick, and just as I was getting comfortable too."

"Very funny . . . I did say I would set you down as soon as I saw your homeroom, right? Well here we are."

Aizawa looked up to see that Class 1-A was just up ahead. Standing in the doorway was the brunette girl he remembered as the one who stopped the strong green-haired boy from hitting the ground during the entrance exam. She appeared to be talking - quite animatedly - to someone just inside, but once Aizawa had his way, she - and everyone else in the room for that matter - wouldn't be talking for long.

"Shall we?" Aizawa mumbled as he started rolling forward.

"By all means," he heard Shizuna mumble, her usually heeled steps now quiet as they moved toward the unsuspecting classroom.

The two reached the doorway to see that the brunette was talking to the green-haired boy she saved during the exam. He looked quite flustered, but the girl was too distracted with what she was saying to really notice. She was in the middle of speaking about making friends when Aizawa decided to burst her rather optimistic bubble.

"If you're just here to make friends, you can pack up your stuff and leave."

Shizuna managed to hold back the smirk that threatened to show as she watched the students look at Aizawa with ghastly looks on their faces, as if they thought he was some sort of creature instead of an actual man.

The impression he was currently giving them did not help matters much.

"Get to your seats!"

The students still standing quickly did as they were told, not wanting to aggravate the worn-out hero any further than they already did. As Aizawa got out of his sleeping bag, Shizuna went past him and into the room, ready to see what she had to work with herself.

All eyes were on her as she looked over each student's face, committing each of them to memory. It was a general consensus among the room - mainly the boys - that she was one of the prettiest teachers they've ever met. A couple were even blushing, but they hid it well, except for the blonde boy in the second column. He was making it a little too obvious.

However, most also considered her intimidating, not just because of her red eyes or the katana she kept strapped to her side, but also because of her naturally daunting presence, one that sent chills down their spines. With her in the room, it felt like there was something at the edge of their senses, ready to strike at her command. It made them a little unsettled, which was what Shizuna had been intending.

As potential heroes, it would be a necessity for them to always be on their toes, ready for anything that could happen.

"So, that's your aunt huh?" Shouto whispered, his voice wary, yet low enough that only those who were sitting the closest to him heard him speak, including Daisuke, who wasn't as affected by his relative's presence compared to the rest of the class. With his cat ears, he was able to easily pick up on the question and shook his head once in the affirmative. "Huh, good to know, I guess."

"Hmm, it seems you got yourself quite an eclectic bunch this year Aizawa," said Shizuna as she turned to the man, now free from his sleeping bag. "They look quite promising."

"We'll see about that Onizaki. They already took too long to sit down and be quiet. Rational students would have been quicker than that," said the Erasure Hero, the mention of her last name gaining the attention of a number of students. "Anyway, my name is Shouta Aizawa, and I'm your homeroom teacher. The lady here with me is Shizuna Onizaki. She's your World History teacher. She's also responsible for the Combat Skills & Pragmatism class, a new course being introduced this year, so congratulations. You're the first guinea pigs."

"Wait a minute . . . Onizaki? Like, from the Onizaki hero family?" asked a boy with a black lightning bolt-shaped streak in his blonde hair.

"That's correct. . . You see, I don't have much of a huge presence in the domestic news compared to some of my relatives, but if you have managed to pay attention to the hero news outside of Japan, you may recognize me by my epithet and hero name. Professionally, I'm known as the Katana Wielder and the Dark Hero: Madam Blade. Nice to meet you all," said Shizuna, getting a sudden sense of deja-vu from when she introduced herself to Aizawa's freshman class back in her second year.

"Anyway, the pro-heroes Ice Mist and Sandstorm are my older sisters, and the Night Hero: Fangs is my younger brother, and because Ice Mist is my kin, I'm able to call two of you in this class my niece and nephew. Daisuke, Yukino, it's good to see you two again."

"Hi auntie!" Daisuke called out as Yukino offered her a small wave, everyone's eyes going straight to them once they realized it was them that Shizuna was talking to.

"Aunt Sachi is still mad at you for that game of pool you two played the other day." Yukino added as she rested her hand on her chin, her comment making some of the class quite curious.

"I know, but she had it coming. She knows it's bad to make bets with me. I win them every time anyway . . ." Shizuna mumbled as she turned from her niece to the rest of the class. "Now then, I'm sure some of you are thinking over whether it's fair or not that one of your teachers happen to be related to students she's going to be teaching this year, right?"

She looked around, watching their reactions before moving to speak again. "Well, for starters, U.A. is known for giving its teachers a lot of leeway in how we conduct our classes. This year is no different."

"Trust me, I'm usually an unbiased person. However, I did see that my presence here, at least for this year, could pose a potential ethical issue for the school if it is indeed raised again. So, a remedy has been made," she added as she jutted her thumb at the tired man silently standing right next to her. "To keep things fair, your homeroom teacher has agreed to be present when I'm teaching you in both World History and Combat Skills. He'll fill a more 'assistant teacher' type role in both courses, but he will be responsible for grading half of you in both classes, my niece and nephew included. . . So, yeah, you'll see a lot more of his tired face outside of homeroom than you think. Everyone understand?"

"YES SENSEI!" they all chorused, though some looked a little wary when they noticed that Aizawa was suddenly watching Onizaki with narrowed eyes.

"Was that last line really necessary?" he asked, his right eyebrow going up slightly.

"You rolled up here in a _sleeping bag_ not too long ago," she deadpanned in return. "Why should I lie when they can see the obvious?"

Aizawa, knowing that she was right on both counts, knew he had no comeback for that one. Quietly conceding, he turned his head to see that some of the students had the audacity to look amused at the exchange between the two, including the blonde who asked the question earlier, the redhead with spiked teeth, and the ash blonde haired kid sitting behind Shizuna's niece.

" _They won't be so amused once they see what I have in store for them this year . . . Well, if they make it past today that is."_ he thought as he pulled out a set of the U.A. gym uniform from out of his sleeping bag.

No one bothered to ask why he had that in his sleeping bag in the first place.

"Inside each of your desks is your gym uniform. It's what you'll be wearing during Combat Skills and Pragmatism, but for today, go change and meet Onizaki and I outside. You'll get further instructions once you're all reassembled. Do I make myself clear?"

"YES, AIZAWA SENSEI!"

Aizawa nodded before making his way out the door, Shizuna following close behind him.

"Hmm, you think you'll have to expel anyone this year?" she asked after closing the door behind them.

"That's what the test is for isn't it?" Aizawa asked as the two made their way down the hallway. "Once they've been put through their paces, I'll see if I have to separate the weak from the strong."

"I don't know. I have a good feeling about this class . . ." said Shizuna, a small smirk coming across her face. "You may be in for a few surprises this year Aizawa."

"Hmpfh, we'll see about that . . ."

* * *

 **A/N: Ok, a few things...**

 **1\. Daisuke is able to communicate with cats as part of his Quirk.**

 **2\. Daisuke takes Mineta's spot in class, but trust me he is not going to be perverted as him, and never will be. He comes from a family of strong females, so there's no way in hell he would be capable of such a thing. Hi** **s family pretty much guaranteed it.**

 **3\. Yukino takes Hagakure's spot in class.**

 **4\. Hagakure and Mineta are a part of Class 1-B for this story.**

 **5\. Slightly comedic banter between Aizawa and Shizuna will be commonplace throughout this story.**

 **6\. Have you ever wondered how Aizawa managed to remain that quiet when he first appeared in the canon storyline behind Uraraka? Like seriously, how** **'d the fuck did he do that, especially in something as noisy as a** _ **sleeping bag . . !**_ **What I wrote on this chapter is my take on it** **, so to speak.** **XD**

 **And finally, 7. Be ready, cause next chapter is going to be all about the rest of the first day, including the dreaded Quirk Apprehension Test!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed it! And if you like, please review, fav, or follow. Sandsnake** **Q** **ueen out!**


	6. Sharing Intel

**A/N:** **Ok, so t** **his chapter is noticeably shorter than some of the previous chapters, but I didn't want to have the Test arc happening in just one chapter, so I decided to cut it in half, well, more or less.**

 **So, l** **adies and gentlemen,** **l** **et's get this Quirk Apprehension Test Arc started. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5** \- Sharing Intel

"Your aunt; I never realized that she was so, so. . ." Shouto trailed off as he took off his shirt, not knowing how to word the rest of his thoughts.

He and Daisuke were sitting side by side in the back of the boys locker room, changing for whatever task Aizawa had planned for them outside. The class had only just arrived at the locker rooms, finding them after Ochako - the brunette who had been flustering Midoriya earlier - and Momo had asked for directions from a passing staff member, having only realized they had no idea where the rooms were until after their teachers had left.

"There's something . . . _intimidating_ , even a little unnerving about her. I'm not trying to be rude - she is your aunt after all - but is this a normal thing for her?"

"Pretty much. . . Most of my aunt's 'darker aesthetic' - as we in the family like to call it - is a result of her quirk, but trust me, her quirk isn't the only thing you should be wary of," Daisuke warned as he slipped off his sneakers. "You'll get used to it with time. The more you're exposed to it, the better it gets . . . Hell, if you can get used to my uncle, I'm sure you'll get used to my youngest aunt."

"I'll grant you that," Shouto conceded as he put away his blazer and top before picking up his gym shirt. "But to be fair, I was only two when I first met your uncle, and he stormed into your house looking like he was about to murder someone. He was so terrifying that I suffered from nightmares for the next few nights."

"Yeah, I never found out what pissed off Uncle Daiju so badly that day, and I likely never will. He never talks about it . . . All I can say is that once I saw how angry he could get, I knew that I never wanted to make him angry for as long as I live, and I made that vow when I was two."

"I know. I was right there with you that day," Shouto reminded him. "The only reason Yukino doesn't remember it is because she was already taking a nap when your uncle barged in looking for your mom."

"It's agreed that most people don't remember anything from when they were two . . . My uncle made sure that I remembered that day," Daisuke mumbled as he started taking off his uniform. "Now that I think about it. That would explain why Ma dragged him to your house two days later so he could apologize for some reason. I had no what he did though."

"But now you know," said the dual-haired teen as he noticed one of the other boys was starting to approach them. It was only the blonde kid with the bolt shaped streak in his hair. He was half-dressed in his uniform, a confident grin lining his face as he walked toward the two. "Why do I have the sudden feeling that he's only approaching to ask about your aunt?"

"Ah, my dear friend, that's exactly what he's planning to do. . . I overheard him mentioning it to the redhead before walking over here, and judging from the scent I'm getting from his hair, that red shade is definitely a dye job."

"Still, can you blame him though?" Shouto challenged as he put on his shirt. "Wouldn't you be curious to talk to one of the students who's related to one of the newest teachers in school? Who also happens to be a sibling of one of the top heroes in the entire country? This should have been expected."

Daisuke, despite knowing that Shouto was making a valid point, still scowled at him anyway.

"Can I help you . . ?" the blue-haired teen asked once the blonde finally reached them, leaning himself against a locker.

"The name's Kaminari, and actually, you can help me out a lot," said the blonde, his 'cool' act faltering a little as he scratched the back of his neck. "You see, well, considering that you are Onizaki-sensei's nephew and all, can you honestly blame me for coming over here to ask you about her? I simply want to know who I'm working with; you know?"

" _And with his words, he proves Shouto right. . ._ _"_ Daisuke mumbled in his head as he looked up at the blonde.

Shouto, and most of the room for that matter, were quietly watching the two with interest, waiting to hear his response. To be honest, most of the room was thinking the exact same thing.

At the moment, Kaminari just happened to be the voice of the people.

". . . Nah, I can't really blame you. To be honest, I'd probably do the same thing myself." Daisuke conceded after giving it some thought.

"So, what exactly is your aunt like as a teacher?" Kaminari prodded as he finally put on his shirt. "Is she an easy grader? Is she boring? Does she give a lot of homework? Are her exams hard? Does she fail a lot of kids?!"

"Kaminari! You shouldn't be bothering your fellow students with questions like those?!" called the familiar, dark haired student with the exhaust pipes sticking out of his shins.

Shouto and Daisuke had recognized Tenya Iida as soon as he had walked into class, having seen him before at prior hero ceremonies and events that their respective parents managed to bring them to over the years, though neither managed to talk to him much during those engagements. He was the Turbo Hero: Ingenium's younger brother, and while the older Iida proved to be more free-spirited and laxer in his demeanor, Tenya proved to be quite a stickler for rules and proper etiquette.

From how he was berating Bakugou earlier, he was still a stickler for them now.

"It's alright Iida! I'm willing to answer his questions," Daisuke finally admitted as he slipped on his shirt. "Truthfully Kaminari, there's not really much for me to tell . . . I've never had my aunt as a formal teacher before."

"Wait!? ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" Kaminari asked, not really believing what he was hearing. Unfortunately, his yell was a little to close, and a little too sudden, for Daisuke's ears. He ended up glaring at Kaminari as he held his ears close to his head. "Oh, sorry man, but still. You've never had your aunt as a teacher before!? Not even for quirk training?!"

"That's right . . . The most I've gotten from her before now was tips and advice she would include in her emails and video messages," said the cat teen as he put back on his shoes. "Ever since she graduated from U.A., my aunt spent pretty much her entire life outside of the country, only visiting for up to a week - at best - before having to leave again. If you ask me, that doesn't leave much time for formal quirk training, even though it would certainly help since she and I both inherited transformation quirks."

"But do you at least have some idea of what she's like as a teacher? Like, have you heard anything that could help the rest of us?" asked the black-haired teen with tape dispenser-like elbows. "Oh, and by the way, the name's Hanta Sero."

"Well, from what I've gathered over the years, Auntie Shizuna will likely not be the strictest teacher we'll face here at school, which is good news in any case . . . Sure, she'll be tough with us when the situation calls for it, but most of the time, she treats her students like actual friends instead of mindless drones that need the lessons drilled into their skulls every day."

"As long as she's not strict, I'm good for the rest of the year!" called a taller student with very prominent lips from down the row. He was definitely one of the buffest members of the class, but Daisuke couldn't help but notice the faint scent of cinnamon and sugar drifting from him.

"Yeah, but you really should keep this in mind," Daisuke warned as he started working on his laces. "There's two things that you really need to look out for when it comes to my aunt. The first is that she can get very blunt. She's the most direct of my relatives, and she will not sugarcoat her words for the sake of sparing your feelings, even if you are the most sensitive person in the world. . . She could care less about that if it means she's getting her point across to you that much quicker, so if you know you have paper-thin skin, build it the fuck up, cause she'll break you down quick, and she'll gladly do it with no remorse if she needs to."

"She sounds like a darker version of my mother . . ." Bakugou could be overheard grumbling from his side of the room. Midoriya - having met Bakugou's mom plenty of times before - shot him an uncertain look before he continued changing, making a quick mental note to brace himself for whatever criticism came his way from the red-eyed woman. He knew he was quick to cry, but Onizaki-sensei may prove to be one of his most difficult challenges yet.

"Well, we didn't come to U.A. because we wanted things to be easy for us," said the shark-toothed redhead as he started to alter the collar of his gym shirt. "I think it's a good thing that she'll be straightforward with us. I don't want to be treated like a little kid. I don't want my feelings spared . . . Oh wait! What was the second thing you were going to mention Onizaki!?"

"For the love of all you hold dear, take her lessons freaking seriously!" Daisuke said with a grim edge to his voice, his face showing that he was in no mood to argue with them on this. "The easiest way you can get on her bad side is if she sees you take her lessons as a joke."

"Isn't that the same for all teachers in general?" asked the tall kid with the multiple arms, speaking through one of the mouths that formed along one of its ends.

"Well, yeah, but from what I've heard, she can get pretty extreme with students that don't bother to listen," Daisuke mumbled. "Just to let you know, if she says something is going to be on her test, it's going to be on the test."

"What's usually on her tests?" asked Kaminari.

"Pretty much everything she talks about in her lectures. . ." said Daisuke. "Auntie really is one of those teachers that makes sure that what she speaks about will appear on her exams. . . Yeah, our grades really depend on how well we listen when it comes to her."

"Well, that's one way to guarantee that your students pay attention to you in class. . ." Sero mumbled, shaking his head.

"We have to remain vigilant when it comes to Onizaki-sensei," said the teen with the raven-shaped head a few lockers down the row. "It makes sense . . . The best heroes are the most aware of what's around them."

"This does fit into Onizaki-sensei's teaching m.o., even though there wasn't much info on it to begin with online."

Midoriya had mumbled that a little too loudly, and when he looked up, he saw that everyone was staring directly at him. Having not expected this, his face became as red as a tomato, but despite that, he still managed to find his voice, hoping that his explanation would clear things up.

"Okay, when I found out that I got accepted into U.A., I decided to do a little research to see what kind of teachers to expect here. I wanted to prepare myself for what lay ahead . . ."

"You didn't want to get caught off-guard." Iida helpfully suggested, his words earning him a positive nod from the green-haired teen.

"EXACTLY!" Midoriya conceded as his face relaxed a little. "I couldn't really find anything on what Onizaki-sensei was like as a teacher though. . . All the articles on her were on her hero work, but there weren't that many that I could fully understand thanks to the fact that I'm not proficient in any other language besides Japanese. All I could really read was what was translated on some hero blogs."

"That's better than nothing. So, what were you able to find out?" asked the blonde teen with the rather large tail. "Is she a prominent hero outside of Japan?"

"Compared to her siblings, not really. The articles I could understand did mention that she was on a lot of high-scale cases though. . . Think of the ones that require large hero team ups with a lot of firepower. That kind of thing."

"Sounds like she's proficient in fighting large groups," said Iida as he brought a hand to his chin. "What else did they specifically say about her Midoriya?"

"Well, apparently, she tended to work more on the underground scene rather than out in the open, which makes sense since she is a teacher. Apparently, she's a specialist in close combat, both in hand-to-hand and with weaponry, even though she mainly uses her katana. . . It is said that she only needs one strike of her blade to make sure that her opponent stays down."

"That sounds . . . deadly," said the effeminate blonde as he looked off at who knows where.

"It does, but she's never killed anyone before; maybe she coats the blade with a paralyzing agent or something . . . Anyway, she's only really used her skill with a blade in battle, or her fists if the villains managed to get her unarmed," Midoriya added as he finished putting on his clothes.

"What about her quirk? Any info on that?" Sero asked.

"That's the thing . . . She's never used her full quirk before in a fight. No villain has pushed her to that point yet," Midoriya added. "Unlike most heroes, she goes by two epithets. 'The Katana Wielder' is one and what she's widely known as, for obvious reasons. However, 'The Dark Hero' is the other. That's the one that directly references her quirk, but no one's been able to figure it out or been able to push her to reveal what it truly is."

"Onizaki, please tell me you know what it is."

Kaminari pleading eyes came right into contact with Daisuke's blank ones. He knew that everyone was expecting an answer, but he didn't have one for them, and shook his head accordingly. "OH, COME ON!"

"I'm being honest with you here. I don't know what it is either!" said Daisuke, his answer earning him surprised looks from everyone else. "It's pretty much a family mystery at this point. Only my mom, her other siblings, and my maternal grandparents know what Aunt Shizuna's quirk is. The rest of us don't have a clue. Whenever we asked about it, they never give us a straight answer, or no answer at all in my uncle's case."

"So, you don't fucking know anything about your aunt's fucking quirk?!" Bakugou yelled out, earning him a quick admonishing from Iida, which he immediately ignored.

"The only thing I know is that it's a transformation quirk, and a dark one at that, if her epithet is any indication," Daisuke mumbled. "It's that same quirk that feeds into her intimidation factor. I'm sure you all felt that sudden chill creeping up your spines when she walked into the room earlier, right?"

Everyone shook their heads yes. The younger twin had hit the nail right on the head.

"That's only the amount _she wanted you to feel,_ " Daisuke mumbled as he shut his locker. When he looked up, he saw that everyone's eyes were a little wider, even the tougher ones in the group. "Yes, she can control that 'aura' of hers at will. It's never pleasant . . . Trust me, it'll only get worse if you piss her off, much worse. So, any other questions?"

He looked around the room to see the different emotions etched across his classmates' faces. There was fear on a couple, disbelief and wariness on others, and even one that could best be described as " _As if I'd believe that?_ " from Bakugou, who quickly snapped out of it before returning his attention to his shoes.

" _Something tells me he's not going to believe me until he actually sees it for himself. . . If that_ _'s his prerogative, who am I to judge?_ " Daisuke thought, shaking his head. "Really? No other questions? Did I really put the fear of my aunt that badly into you guys?"

"It's not that you put the fear of your aunt into us Daisuke. It's just that your words may have made us reconsider our first impressions of her, that's all." Sero explained as he walked up to stand next to Kaminari, who was actually frozen in place. "Huh, maybe you did scare one of us after all. Kaminari, you ok?"

"Yeah; I was just thinking about . . . possibilities, that's all." the blonde mumbled before walking away.

"I still don't think we should worry too much about Onizaki-sensei. As long as we don't get on her bad side and actually pay attention, we should be fine, right?" Kirishima asked, looking to Daisuke for confirmation. When he got a thumbs up, his grin got even wider. "See! Nothing to fear!"

"Unless you're just a terrible student in general. If that's the case, then there really is no help for you," said Sero as he put his hands in his pockets, his words making Kaminari visibly wince. "So, Daisuke, any idea on what her classes will be like?"

"Um, my aunt is not a fan of the long-winded lecture. Actually, she always hated those, even back when she was still a student. . . She's very to the point, and since we are in U.A., I'm sure she'll infuse heroism somehow in her lessons." said the teen as he headed for the exit. Shouto, who had long finished changing his clothes and spent the past few minutes just listening to the entire conversation, was following right behind him with his hands in his pockets.

"What about her other class?"

"As for the Combat Skills course, my best guess is that you should expect to learn a lot of different fighting forms and martial arts skills. . . Ma has always said that Aunt Shizuna was the most proficient in hand-to-hand combat among her siblings. Also, she's always preferred heroes that were well-rounded fighters. She's not a fan of heroes that rely solely on their quirks."

"Ok, so that sounds doable! Besides not knowing what her quirk exactly is, your aunt doesn't sound half bad Daisuke." said the redhead as the group started converging around the exit. "Oh, by the way, the name's Eijirou Kirishima, but you can just call me Kirishima."

"Good to know . . . Anyway, she'll probably won't be the harshest teacher we'll face in the school. Aizawa-sensei seems stricter than her from what I've seen so far." added Sero, grimacing at the incoming prospect of seeing him again.

"I think you're right on that one Sero," said Daisuke as he opened the door. "And speaking of Aizawa-sensei, how about we all get outside before he starts chewing us out on not being rational enough for him again hmm?"

Not looking forward to that in the slightest bit, everyone vehemently agreed before making their way down the hall to find their way out the building. They managed to catch up to the girls just as they were making their way out the door; their lateness not going unnoticed either.

"Wow! And I thought us girls took long getting ready!" cried a pink-skinned girl with horns peeking out of her equally pink hair. "What took you guys so long? We thought you had left without us?!"

"We were asking Daisuke questions about his aunt. Ended up learning a lot," Sero explained as he pointed to the teen a few feet ahead of them. "I'm guessing you guys were doing the same with his sister?"

"Pretty much," said the dark-haired girl with earphone jacks for earlobes. "To cut to the chase, Yukino told us that her aunt is a pretty straightforward person but ask about her quirk and she won't say anything about it."

"That's pretty much what Daisuke said, more or less. . ." said Kaminari as he looked ahead to see the cat teen talking to Shouto and his sister, with Bakugou leading the group a few feet ahead of them. "We all agreed that Onizaki-sensei won't be the toughest teacher to deal with, well, as long as we don't make her mad. However, Aizawa-sensei . . . well, he seems to be an entirely different story. . . Wait a minute. How late are we again?"

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

When the class finally found the two teachers outside, they were huddled together in a quiet conversation. When they were finished, the Katana Wielder looked up and greeted them with a small, disarming grin. On the other hand, the Erasure Hero's face was an emotionless mask, half hidden behind his scarf. He stared into the eyes of each and every student - measuring them - before he finally stepped forward to speak.

"Alright then, you didn't take as long as I had expected, but you still could have done better. . ."

" _What a nice way to address your class Aizawa . . ."_ Shizuna sarcastically thought as she watched the blank expressions appear on the students' faces.

"You'll be spending the next three years here at U.A., learning and training your way to becoming full-fledged, professional heroes. However, before we can start doing anything with you guys, I need to see what I truly have to work with here. The paperwork says one thing, but what I'll see in the next few moments will really tell me what kind of students I got this semester," Aizawa continued as he looked around the group. "Today, you will be doing a Quirk Apprehension Test."

"A Quirk Apprehension Test?" asked the effeminate blonde that always seemed to be sparkling. "What do you mean by that monsieur?"

"You all will be going through a series of physical tests, the same ones you had to do in middle school to be exact. However, this time around, you're allowed to use your quirks however you see fit," Shizuna explained. "We want to see how well you can use them, as well as how creative you can get in how you apply them to the tests ahead of you."

"I usually conduct this test alone, but for this year, I've asked Onizaki-sensei to be here for the proceedings. I figured a second pair of eyes wouldn't hurt. . . Also, seeing what quirks you have will be helpful going forward in the Combat Skills course you'll be taking later on," said Aizawa as he pulled out his tablet. "Truthfully, your quirks should have been tested in this way back in middle school, but the government tends to be slow when it comes to adjusting to today's quirk-centered society and have yet to make that change . . . Simply irrational . . ."

"As you have probably noticed, your homeroom teacher is very much one for thinking on the logical and rational side of things," Shizuna commented as her eyes slid left at the dark-haired man. He didn't bother to humor her with a response. "He's very much a straightforward fellow . . . Anyway, let's get this test started!"

"Um, but what about the welcoming ceremony?" asked a brunette from the front of the group. Aizawa immediately recognized her as the one who had been standing in the doorway speaking the green-haired teen's head off earlier. "Isn't that going on right now? Shouldn't we be attending it?"

"It is, and if I was a different teacher, well, one who actually _cares_ about that sort of thing, we would be attending it. However, I don't care about it, so we're not attending it. The ceremony carries the same repetitive message every year anyway. . . It's a waste of time, something you don't want to do when you're a hero," Aizawa bluntly stated as he stared the girl down, quieting any other questions in the process.

He then pulled out a softball from his other pocket, turning his eyes to the ash blonde haired kid who liked slightly bored. "Bakugou, how far could you throw a softball back in middle school?"

"67 meters." Came his response as he caught the ball the older man lobbed at him.

"Come into the circle and throw it while using your quirk. We don't care how you do it just as long as you stay within the boundary."

"All right, but you asked for it," Bakugou grumbled as he walked into the circle stretching his arms. After a couple more stretches, he took in a deep breath before a rather menacing looking grin came across his face. It was not the most settling sight to see "DIEEEEEEE!"

"Did he just yell out 'die'? I heard that right, right?" Daisuke quietly asked as they watched him launch the softball for all it's worth, setting off a huge explosion that took the softball up into the atmosphere. The sheer show of power shocked the class and made him a class frontrunner all in one quick, monumental throw.

"Hm, if he wants that to be his catchphrase, he may want to rethink it a bit, and when I say a bit, I mean _a lot_ ," Yukino grumbled as she crossed her arms. "It's quite villainous, don't you think? Not something a future hero should really say . . ."

Shouto knew that she was making a decent point, but he didn't focus on that as he watched the blonde-haired teen walk back over to the class with a smug grin plastered on his face. From that one pitch alone, it was obvious that Bakugou was strong, likely one of the strongest in class. He was someone to look out for and be wary of, a dangerous combo in any person.

Shouto knew he was going to watch out for him as the semester went forward.

Once the class got out of their momentary lapse of shock, they were abuzz with excitement, eager to show off their quirks and what they could do with them. However, things took a turn for the worse once the pink-skinned girl mentioned that it was going to be . . . 'fun'.

" _She_ _really shouldn't have said that_ _,_ _"_ Shizuna thought with a grimace as her eyes went to Shouta, who was likely scowling a little more deeply at the class, though they couldn't really see it thanks to his scarf.

The teachers' quiet reactions were quickly noticed. Shizuna's reaction didn't look too bad to them, but once they saw the dark look in Aizawa's eyes, a few of them started fearing the worst.

"Oh, so you think this is fun?" Aizawa growled as the class quieted down all at once. "Well then, let's see if you still think this is fun after I tell you this little piece of news."

 _"Oh crap . . . He's going to let them have it, isn't he?"_ Shizuna thought, having a good feeling he was.

She wasn't wrong.

"At the end of this test, the student with the worst performance will immediately be expelled from the hero course. Do I make myself clear?"

To them, his words were crystal clear.

 **A/N: And part one of the Quirk Apprehension Test Arc is over. I'll have part two up soon, and then I'll likely move on to a chapter - or** _ **chapters**_ **\- that revolves around Shizuna's particular classes before moving on to the Battle Trial Arc.**

 **So, this chapter focused a lot on Daisuke and his interaction with the boys in the class. Next chapter will likely - and I mean** _ **likely**_ **\- have more class interaction, and Shizuna will really get the chance to** _ **address the class**_ **before the day is up. I've also started the intro on what Shizuna's quirk could possibly be, and it'll be a recurring theme for the story** **, well, until I actually reveal it of course.**

 **As to when I'll finally reveal said quirk, you'll just have to tune in to find out.**

 **For now, this is Sandsnake** **Q** **ueen, tuning out.**


	7. Observing the Future

**H** **i everyone!** **It's time for** **me to introduce you all to the** **second half of the Quirk Apprehension Test Arc! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6** \- Observing the Future

" _At the end of this test, the student with the worst performance will immediately be expelled from the hero course_ _. Do I make myself clear?"_

In that very moment, Shizuna Onizaki, publicly known as the Katana Wielder, Madam Blade, inwardly cursed herself for not bringing her camera.

A photo . . . video footage . . . either would have worked perfectly to capture the effect Aizawa's words had on the twenty first year students that stood before them. Honestly, their reactions were quite a sight to behold. He only had to say one sentence to turn a class of hopeful hero wannabes into startled children, some with eyes so wide you'd think they were on the verge of falling out of their collective skulls.

Granted, he hadn't planned on getting so harsh with them so early on, but as soon as he heard the word 'fun' pass by one of their lips, he started seeing red, almost literally. Aizawa was no fan of heroes who treated their jobs as trivial pursuits or as a way to get their adrenaline flowing. He didn't dislike them as much as he disliked those who did it for fame and fortune, but he disliked them all the same.

If Aizawa desired to scare his students into a silent stupor with a tiny hint of fear mixed in, he did the job brilliantly. The nervous ones looked absolutely hysterical as they stared at the now aggravated man with eyes that communicated their fear with ease. The more serious looking ones, on the other hand, managed to stay firm, but judging from the twitch of their eyes and the slight quivering of some of their lips, they were struggling to not break their solid composure, and a few were failing quite badly.

It was quite a mix of reactions, and honestly, Shizuna was surprised that no one had actually facepalmed just yet.

" _Hm, that should make them rethink that the hero course is going to be fun . . ."_ she thought, as she looked around at all their faces, her eyes widening slightly as she noticed that a couple of the students didn't look quite as fazed by Eraserhead's words as she had previously thought.

" _It seems Aizawa's little announcement had no effect on my niece and the heiress after all. Either that or they're just plain better at hiding their reactions than the rest of the class_ _,"_ she thought as she looked around the rest of the group. _"For all I know, they may have figured out_ _Aizawa's true aim after all_ _. . . Question is:_ _how - better yet - will the_ _rest of you come to the same conclusion?"_

" _Damn, an ultimatum on the first day? That's just our luck . . ._ _T_ _here has to be some ulterior motive to this than just removing the weakest student from class though_ _._ _"_ Yukino thought, bringing a hand to her chin. When she looked off to the side, she locked eyes with Momo, who also looked like she was thinking things over.

Yukino realized then and there that she probably wasn't the only one thinking the same way.

 _"At least I'm not the only one that seems to suspect that something's not right here_ _,"_ Momo thought as she turned to face the teachers. _"Maybe Aizawa-sensei is just saying this to_ _ensure everyone's doing_ _their very best. . ._ _Or maybe he really is serious about expelling someone . . . This won't be easy."_

"Trust me, I'm not kidding," Aizawa stated, looking absolutely serious. "At the end of this test, one of you students will be out of my class. You will be out of the hero course and regulated to General Studies. In turn, someone from General Studies will come up to take the fallen student's place . . . So, if I were you, I'd make sure my name doesn't appear at the bottom of the leaderboard at the end of the day."

"You can't expel a person because they landed in last place!" called the same brunette from earlier. "This is the first day! We only just started school! What you're doing is not fair!"

"Is that even legal here!?" questioned the pink-skinned girl, grimacing when she realized that her question had only managed to irk the man even further. ". . . Uh oh."

"Let me ask you this. Do you think villains are fair . . ? How about natural disasters? Maybe even some other form of uncontrollable chaos for that matter?" Aizawa asked, his irritation becoming more evident with each question. "We live in a world of unfairness, and heroism has plenty of it to go around, whether you like it or not. . . You can either let that unfairness overcome you and kick you to the ground, or you prove to the world what kind of heroes you truly are by overcoming such unfairness. How you react to what the world throws your way is up to you, and that journey starts now. . . If you feel like you can't handle that, then leave! I won't stop you. In fact, you'll just be saving the rest of us the trouble of watching you fail in the future."

Aizawa's words struck a definitive nerve with the class, but it wasn't the reaction that he was expecting to see. He already had an idea on who would be the weak links from the entrance exam alone, and he was already prepared to see unsure and defeated expressions gracing some of his students' faces.

However, his expectations were for naught. The Erasure Hero witnessed a strong lack despondency and fear in the crowd. Instead, he saw anxious, determined faces staring back at him. A few even looked like they were raring to go, ready to prove themselves to the unimpressed man in black.

Though he wouldn't say it, Shouta had to commend them for their gusto from the get-go, but he still questioned how long that bravado would last as the day moved forward.

"Hmm, no one wants to leave I see . . . Fine then, but remember. There's a lot at stake here. Depending on what happens today, someone's hero career may effectively be over before it can truly begin."

Aizawa wasn't really one for being dramatic, but he knew when to make sure his words carried enough weight to really drive the point home. "Now then, let's begin. We'll start with the 50-meter dash."

The dash was just the start of the long series of assessments the students faced throughout the day. To Aizawa, the Apprehension Test was not only his chance to see how far his students were willing to push themselves for the sake of keeping their dreams alive, but to also see who would push themselves _too far_ , risking their health for a future that may not be the best for them.

As time went on, the two teachers watched as the students worked through the challenges sent their way, trying to ensure that they were still a part of the class at the end of the day. Not all of the quirks were suitable for every test, but it was interesting to see how well the students would adapt to the task at hand, Iida's Engine and Kirishima's Hardening being prime examples.

On the other hand, there were quite a few quirks in the group that were so versatile that they were a relative fit for every test. Yaoyorozu's Creation allowed her to create anything from her body that would give her a leg up, making her an easy frontrunner in the class. Yukino's quirk, Water Cycle, allowed her to do something similar, but through the different forms of water: solid, liquid, and gas. What she created wasn't as complicated, or even as _big_ as the things Yaoyorozu made, but her ingenuity proved that she wasn't someone to be looked over so easily.

The offensive power was just as impressive as the creativity shown so far, namely from the likes of the raven-headed Tokoyami, the dual-haired Todoroki, and the abrasively loud Bakugou. Tokoyami's Dark Shadow allowed him to actively partake in the test without having to lift a finger. Todoroki's Half Hot-Half Cold served him well to jump way ahead of his classmates, though his use of only his Half Cold was notable, and a little worrying. Then there was Bakugou's Explosion, which was probably the strongest offensive quirk in class. He proved to be quite versatile with it, though his attitude grew more abrasive as time went on.

Simply put, all three showed promise, but they still needed some work.

The mutant-type quirk holders weren't slouches either. Aizawa didn't express much during the exam, but he couldn't help but be reminded of his own cat as he watched Daisuke move during the standing long jump, performing way better than most thought he would, and he didn't even have to transform either, landing a good couple of feet past the last marker with relative ease.

In the end, the blue-haired teen's jump ended up being one of the longest in class, narrowly beating Yaoyorozu and her self-made springy-shoes, but just missed catching Bakugou and the frog-centric Asui.

" _Ears and a strong leaping ability? Yep, Onizaki's nephew definitely has a cat quirk . . . Lucky kid,_ _"_ Aizawa thought as he logged in the results, just as the class moved to the softball pitch. _"_ _Hm, I must admit. T_ _his group really have been pushing themselves to do well, save for a few whose quirks just weren't suited for some of these tests to begin with_ _. . . I may actually have a full class this year, but_ _then there's Midoriya. . ."_

The Erasure Hero looked up from his tablet to glance at the green-haired teen standing in the middle of the group. It was easy to see that the kid was nervous as he waited for his chance to throw.

He had a good reason to feel that way . . .

" _Right now, Midoriya is_ _on pace_ _to have last place in the bag . . . If he doesn't show me something soon, he can kiss t_ _he Hero Course_ _goodbye."_

He paused his musings to sneak a glance at Shizuna, who had been spending her time writing notes down in an old-fashioned notepad she fished out of the pack tied to her back. She had been silent so far, preferring to write her thoughts down on paper rather than electronically.

" _Judging by how much she's been writing, Onizaki will certainly have a few things to say once the test is over."_ He concluded before signaling for the softball pitch to begin.

Most of the class did reasonably well for themselves with the pitch, with some of the more notable performances being Yaoyorozu pulling a _literal cannon_ _out of her stomach_ to launch the ball, and Uraraka, who undoubtedly earned the highest score possible in the event.

She scored an _**infinity**_ by removing the ball's gravity and letting it just float up into orbit after she threw it.

Luckily Aizawa carried a spare.

" _Only a few names left . . ._ _Looks like_ _Midoriya_ _'s next_ _,"_ he thought as the freckled teen approached the circle. _"Let's see what you got, problem child ._ _. ."_

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

"Hm, this should be an interesting throw," Daisuke mumbled as he tightened his ponytail. "Do you think Midoriya will finally show his quirk here? We haven't seen it so far, and the number of tests is starting to dwindle."

"He has to show it eventually," Yukino mumbled as she stretched out her arm. When it was her turn, she wrapped the ball in a cloud of mist before sending it as far as she could make it travel, but she had thrown it first with all her might when doing so. She may have strained it a little, but considering the result, she'd take it. "He can't hide it forever. Judging from the glances Aizawa-sensei sends his way, he's the one with the likeliest chance of leaving the course, so he has to do something major soon in order to save his spot."

"Oh, you shouldn't worry about him you guys! If there's a test that he _should_ do well in, it's this one," Uraraka confidently stated as Midoriya took the ball from Shoji. "If you saw him during the entrance exam, you would know exactly why! I think he got this!"

"It's amazing to see you have such confidence in a guy you barely know Uraraka," Daisuke mumbled as he turned to the brunette. "He must have made quite an impression on you during the exam!"

"It's not just me!" she added with a grin. "Trust me! If you were in my group during the entrance exam, you would be saying the same thing!"

"Pfft! AS IF YOU IDIOTS!" Bakugou exclaimed as he pointed at him. "The kid's a quirkless loser!"

"He has a quirk Bakugou! I was in Uraraka's group, so I can vouch for her. Trust me, I've seen Midoriya's quirk in action," said Iida, coming to the brunette's defense. "If you were in our group, you would have seen it too!"

"Hm, I guess we'll just have to take your word for it then. . ." Yukino mumbled, not addressing either person in particular. The class silently watched as Midoriya went into his windup, cocking his arm back until it couldn't move anymore. When he finally did throw it, it didn't go very far, landing about forty meters away.

It was one of the weakest throws of the day.

"Well, that was rather anticlimactic." Yukino mumbled, suddenly feeling awkward after watching a "hyped up" throw not live up to everyone's expectations.

"SEE! I told you extras that he didn't have a quirk!" Bakugou exclaimed, unashamedly smug as he watched the despondent Midoriya as he looked down at his hands, looking like a man who was asking himself what went wrong, which he was actually doing.

The class ignored Bakugou's gloating. Most were too caught off-guard by Midoriya's poor throw to properly respond, while a few thought Bakugou's bad attitude shouldn't be acknowledged or dignified by a response.

"But I don't understand . . ."

Everyone's ears perked up as soon as they heard Midoriya's voice, his tone as disbelieving as the look on his face. "I activated my quirk. _I felt it working_ , but when I threw the ball, nothing happened. Nothing at all . . . How could I have only scored in the forties?"

"You don't have to look too far for your answer . . . Your poor throw was because of me."

Everyone turned their heads to see that their homeroom teacher now looked quite different from what they were starting to get used to. In truth, with his black hair suddenly standing upright in a ghostly fashion, his scarf somehow hovering around his head and neck, just as ghostly as his hair, and his eyes now such a beaming bright red you'd think he was ready to shoot laser beams at you, Aizawa made for quite a scary sight.

"The exam judges were not rational when they let you into this school with a quirk like yours," Aizawa admonished as he slowly approached the slightly spooked teen. "In short, I erased your quirk. . . If I had let you continue to throw the way you planned to, you would have broken every bone in your arm."

" _Erased_ my quirk? Wait a sec . . . Those goggles," Midoriya mumbled, realization now dawning on him as his gaze moved from the golden goggles hanging around the man's neck to his face. "Now I recognize you! You're the Erasure Hero: Eraserhead."

" _Eraser_ head?" Kaminari asked as he looked at his teacher with wide eyes. "Wait! Hold on a second . . . Is that true? He can actually do that. He can actually _erase_ our quirks?!"

"That's correct Kaminari," called Shizuna as she walked over to the group. "I'm sure you all are a bit on edge seeing your teacher like this, but trust me, you have nothing to fear. The erasure is not permanent, so if you were wondering if you would lose your quirk forever if those red eyes fell on you, you have nothing to worry about. . . The effect only lasts for as long as Aizawa-sensei doesn't blink."

"Huh, that's actually a scary awesome quirk." Sero nervously mumbled, a sentiment shared by most in the class. Aizawa obviously heard them, but he chose to ignore them as he continued to stare down his danger-prone student.

"You have no idea how to properly use your quirk, do you?" Midoriya winced at the accusation, and it was all the answer the older man needed.

"It's not that! I-" Aizawa didn't bother to give Midoriya the time to fully defend himself, sending his combat scarf toward the teen, thus cutting him off short as he dragged him closer.

"If you continue to use your quirk the way you do now, you will simply become a liability to those around you. I saw your performance during the entrance exam kid. I've seen what your quirk did to you that day. . . The recoil was immense, too immense to be properly used in hero work with the lack of control you have," Aizawa stated, his glare going from irritated to slightly angered. "Sure, it may be good for one hit, but that's all that it's good for. It devastates your arm so much that it becomes unusable immediately afterward. It's a one-shot quirk the way it is right now, and that's not good for a sustainable hero career."

"Heroes can't be wasting their time covering for you after you put yourself out of action so quickly. You'd just be an unnecessary burden rather than an asset, and that's not going to cut it in this world . . . Sorry kid, but you're no hero as long as you use your quirk the way you do now," Aizawa finished as he released him from his hold. He didn't like the pained look that came across Midoriya's face, but for the sake of his overall livelihood, he was willing to play the bad guy to make sure that he was understood. "Take your throw . . . You're wasting enough time as it is."

"Damn . . ." Ojiro mumbled as Aizawa walk away from the still unresponsive teen. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?"

"If this is what he's like on day one, I'm not sure how we're going to survive this first year." Ashido mumbled as she shot a nervous glance at the man, who seemed to be pointedly ignoring them at the moment. ". . . I really shouldn't have said that this was going to be fun."

"What?! Did you all really think that this would be easy?" Shizuna asked, turning her glare on the class. "To those that did, you thought wrong! This isn't going to be an easy walk in the park you know. You're going to have to put in the effort because we're not going to go easy on you, and neither will the villains . . . Sure, what Aizawa-sensei said may have been a bit harsh to your ears, but his words have merit. You can't be a viable hero if you have a quirk that puts you out of action as soon as you use it. People simply can't depend on heroes like that."

"Anyway, for those of you that were in Midoriya's group during the practical portion of the entrance exam, you saw firsthand what his quirk is capable of doing to him," she added, looking pointedly at Iida and Uraraka, and to a lesser extent, Aoyama. All three were there to witness what happened, so they all immediately knew what she was talking about. "Yes, he smashed the giant robot with a single punch . . ."

That shocked everyone except the three who happened to be there, even Bakugou, who had always thought of Midoriya as a quirkless loser, or a Deku, as he liked to call him. ". . . But the recoil effect was indeed devastating. If you think a broken arm and two shattered legs after one use of a quirk makes for a viable hero, then you can leave now because that kind of thinking will get you nowhere in this school. I'm not one for that kind of stupidity. It does not compute with me, and you certainly won't get that kind of thinking past your homeroom teacher either."

Everyone looked at the blonde in disbelief, realizing that she wasn't kidding by how intensely she was glaring at them. Some snuck glances at Midoriya, who now held the ball in his hands, and a couple were obviously shocked that the teen looked like he was still willing to try despite what they just heard.

"I'm sure Midoriya isn't feeling in the best of spirits right now, but someone had to break it to him before he truly hurt himself in a way that he couldn't recover from. Aizawa just happened to be that person," Shizuna added as she looked at the boy. "With the way he is now, he's simply a likely detriment to himself and others. It's harsh, but this is what you all signed up for when you decided to pursue the path of a hero. It's not all sunshine and rainbows. There's harsh truths and realities that you must face, and the ones that can truly stomach it really make for the best heroes."

"You better remember that, because you're not here to be babied. You're here to be guided and trained, but we can't help you unless you're truly proactive in this endeavor . . . I hope I've made myself clear."

The class collectively nodded as the woman walked off, their thoughts now firmly on what she just said rather than on Midoriya, who still hadn't taken his turn. It was in that moment that what they were truly in for was finally starting to sink in.

That, and the fact that Onizaki-sensei could get just as serious as Aizawa-sensei, if not more, was starting to scare them a little.

"Damn, at least we know how serious your aunt can get," Kaminari mumbled, vainly hiding his nervousness as he turned to Daisuke, who was nervously scratching the back of his neck. "It's almost terrifying."

"Yeah, welcome to my life, I guess." came his sarcastic response.

"Eh, I wasn't too scared by that. . . I still think my fifth-grade math teacher was scarier."

"Really Kirishima?"

As Daisuke started talking with Sero, Kaminari, and Kirishima on the topic of intimidating teachers they've previously had, Yukino, realizing that Shouto was being a little too silent for her liking, turned her head to see that the dual-haired teen looked a lot tenser than usual, with an expression on his face that may have looked daunting to some, but was quite familiar to her.

It didn't take her long to realize why.

" _. . ._ _Really Shouto? It's not like she meant_ _'_ _h_ _e who must not be named'_ _when she said 'endeavor'_ _,_ _"_ she thought as she elbowed him in the gut. It wasn't hard enough to make Shouto keel over, but it was enough to get his attention. As soon as his eyes met hers, he realized then and there that she probably guessed where his line of thinking went to.

"You make yourself way too obvious sometimes," she whispered as he looked away. ". . . Hey, you want to talk about it? You look like you need an ear."

". . . Later," he reluctantly promised, not wanting to talk about it at the moment. Yukino simply nodded, knowing well that she was going to make sure he kept his word before the day was up.

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

"Done giving your little speech to the rest of my class?" Aizawa asked Shizuna as she walked up to him, having overheard her entire rant. He actually didn't mind that she had spoken to them the way that she did.

Honestly, they needed to hear it, and knowing the kind of person he was, Shouta would have probably said what Shizuna said in a much harsher way that would have scared them off more than anything else.

He knew he could get quite intimidating when the situation presented itself, but even he tended to get carried away on occasion, even when it's done with rationality in mind, though it never panned out in the way he intended.

"I hope you don't have a problem with it, but I thought it was necessary to say something before the students got too entrenched in their thinking," she told him as she came to a stop right by his side. "Most of the class seem to still be living in that wide-eyed idealism and optimism phase. . . It's nice and all, but if they don't realize the real risks that heroism holds, they're not going to last long out there."

"They needed to hear it eventually; might as well have it come from you. If you haven't noticed, I'm not the best when it comes to putting things nicely to people," Aizawa grumbled as Midoriya finally moved to take his throw. ". . . Now then, let's see what this kid will do."

After listening to what the teachers had to say, many started to predict that Midoriya would end up overdoing it, desperate enough to be willing to shatter his arm - and maybe more - for the sake of maintaining his spot in class. Others predicted that the ball wouldn't go that far period, mostly those who didn't think that the timid-looking green haired teen was capable of such a feat.

They're predictions would end up ringing false, very, _very_ false.

Midoriya's strength was absolutely _immense_ as he threw the pitch, launching it as far as it would go into the atmosphere. It disappeared from view in an instant, inducing a shockwave in the process as it continued its upward climb.

As for Midoriya's arm, it wasn't as broken as they thought it would be. The only damage done happened to his index finger, which from the look of his face, was causing him a great deal of pain. The fact that it was bleeding and purple all over also added credence to the assumption.

The rest of his arm was completely unscathed.

"Aizawa-sensei?"

When the Erasure Hero looked up from the miraculous score the throw received, he saw that Midoriya was painfully grinning at him, even daring to fold his fingers into a victorious fist. It must have hurt, but he was valiantly ignoring the pain, for now.

"See, I can still move!"

"Huh, this kid . . ." Aizawa uttered, a smile slowly appearing on his face, clearly impressed with the effort. A chuckle nearby couldn't escape his hearing, so he turned his head to see Shizuna holding back a smile, hiding half her face behind the billowing left sleeve. "What?!"

"I did say that some of your students would surprise you, didn't I?" she teased, challenging him to say otherwise. Aizawa, now remembering their earlier conversation, felt his smile lessen into his classic smirk, not as perturbed by the woman's question as much as he thought he would.

"Ok, so you may have been right in the end . . . I guess I can give you that much, just this once."

Shizuna was rather shocked by the admission, having never expected him to say something like that. Aizawa thought her expression was priceless and would have capitalized on it - especially how wide her eyes got - if it wasn't for Bakugou's yelling gaining their attention.

They turned their heads just in time to see the explosive teen launch himself at Midoriya, but before he could even lay a hand on him, Aizawa's combat scarf was holding him back, his quirk already canceled out by his teacher's own.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" he screeched as he tried to set off a few explosions, to no avail. "Why can't I break out of your damn scarf?!"

"My scarf isn't just for show. It's made out of carbon fibers and a special metal alloy, materials that make it much tougher for it to rip. . . Do me a favor and stop making me use my quirk to stop you kids from doing something stupid. It gives me serious dry eye."

"TOO BAD, CAUSE THAT'S AN AWESOME QUIRK!" The class simultaneously chorused as Aizawa finally let Bakugou go, well, once Midoriya was safely out of his range that is.

"Now then, stop wasting time! Next person, take your pitch!"

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

When the test was finally over, everyone was waiting anxiously for their teachers to come out of their discussion. When they were done, Shizuna and Aizawa turned to the group with expressions that gave nothing away, which only added to the class' combined sense of nervousness.

"Alright, there's no need to torture you guys any longer with the waiting. Here are the results!" Aizawa called as he displayed the scoreboard for everyone to see.

No one bothered to look at the first nineteen spots. Instead, everyone's eyes went down to number twenty, where Midoriya's name was printed for all to see. He got the dreaded last place, despair already showing on his face as he bowed his head.

However, before the teen could start wallowing in his justifiable grief, Aizawa decided to make another announcement . . .

"By the way, no one's getting expelled. . . It was all a logical ruse to make sure that you all did your best today."

Many of them were so shocked by the announcement, you'd think they had just watched him sprout a head from either shoulder, both uglier and more tired looking than the original.

The news was not unwelcome though. Midoriya was especially relieved by this development. He was on the verge of tears, while others looked quite exasperated, having no idea how to react. The only ones that didn't look remotely fazed by the news was Tokoyami, who didn't seem to be fazed by most things in general, Yukino, who simply shook her head, and Momo, who outright admitted that she had figured it out in the beginning and was sorry that she didn't tell anyone about it sooner.

Yeah, that earned her a little ire from some in the class, their eyes blank as they turned their glares on her.

"Alright then, before I dismiss you, you have to get through one more thing first . . ." Aizawa trailed off as he turned to Shizuna, who was looking over some of her notes. "Judging from how much you wrote throughout the day; you must have something to say to them before I let them go.

"Indeed, I do . . ." she mumbled as she looked up at the class. Aizawa simply took a step back out of acknowledgement, allowing her the floor. He would be lying to himself if he said that he wasn't curious to hear what she had to say.

When Shizuna Onizaki spoke, people tended to listen, whether they liked it or not.

"Let me start things off by saying that it was obvious that many of you know what your quirks are, what they can do, and how you can apply them to different challenges. Not many can do that, especially not in the heat of the moment. Quick thinking and being able to adapt to the situation are useful traits to have when you're a hero. It's a _must_ actually, so pat yourselves on the back. . . You guys definitely have promise, and it'll be fun to see how well you all develop in the years to come."

"However, there were a few things I noticed during the test that I feel should be addressed, and well, no time is better than the present right?" she asked, her eyes narrowing so much that it made her face look a little harsh. "Hm, I would start with Midoriya, but most of what I wanted to say was covered by Aizawa during the pitch earlier, so I won't reiterate. . . You know what you have to work on, so don't fall behind. Got it?"

"Ye-yes ma'am!" Midoriya's immediately stuttered, almost cowering in fear at her intense gaze.

"Now then, on to Bakugou," she announced, all eyes moving from Midoriya to him, much to his great - and _visible_ \- annoyance. "You definitely have one of the most powerful quirks in class, and the way you wielded it shows that you have a keen intellect. However, your demeanor isn't as sound as your quirk usage . . . Let me ask you this: You weren't challenged much growing up, were you?"

Bakugou's immediate response was to shake his head in complete denial as he pushed his hands into his pockets. "What of it?!"

"Nothing much. . . You just strike me as the kind of guy that was commended quite a lot from such a young age. Your explosions probably developed before any of your fellow peers developed their quirks, and since it's so flashy and striking, it must have made you the center of attention. . . Plenty of people must have said that you'd make for a great hero with such great power. Am I right?"

"Well, you're definitely not wrong," was all Bakugou was willing to say, his eyes narrowing slightly at how right Shizuna was at guessing his past.

"Hm, all that praise must have given you one hell of a confidence boost. . . Then again, some may call it confidence, but I think _arrogance_ seems much more fitting, especially since you don't look like someone who was criticized much either." she challenged, her assumptions shocking everyone a little, especially Midoriya.

The green-haired teen had grown up knowing Bakugou since they were preschoolers. He knew the kind of people that the explosive teen tended to hang with: followers - or _extras_ , as Bakugou liked to call them - who were not willing to criticize him at all, his explosive hands and personality a big reason why.

To be fair, Bakugou wasn't willing to be friendly to others in the first place either, not when he was so focused on becoming the next number one after all.

Simply put, Midoriya had never met someone who was so on the nose with an analysis with such little information, well, until now. Onizaki-sensei had basically figured out a general facet of Bakugou's background with just her observational skills, and probably some background info she read off of the teen's school application, alone.

It both impressed and scared the teen all in one.

As for Bakugou himself, well, he simply shrugged, although he had to admit it. The woman had some good intuition, well, _some fucking scary good intuition_ , as he would actually put it if he allowed himself to say it.

". . . Pretty much," came his callous response, making some in the class question if he was really trying to sound challenging. "Again, what of it?"

"Hm, let me try another guess. . . It seems to me that you think that to be the best hero, you have to be the strongest one out there, right?" Shizuna asked, her tone challenging in turn.

His raised eyebrow was all the answer she needed. "You probably want to be the first and best at everything, and you won't let anyone get in your way to achieve that. You could care less about anyone else to be exact. You probably look down on others, right? If I remember correctly, you tend to call them _e_ _xtras_ correct?"

"So, what if I do!?" Bakugou barked, not even denying what she just said to the dismay of some in the class. The back and forth between teacher and student had everyone's rapt attention. Some were looking at Shizuna in a new light, while others were now more wary of Bakugou, thinking that his motivations were more than a little off-putting.

"I watched the entrance exams, just like every other teacher that works here. Had to see what I was working with for the coming year after all," she told him with a shrug. "And judging from how you didn't deny what I just said, I'm guessing that really is the kind of guy you are . . . Hm, I'll let you in on something. You may have earned first place in the entrance exam Bakugou, and deservedly so by what was defined by the rules. However, what you know is only half the story . . ."

"What the hell do you mean by that?!" Bakugou asked, more agitated than normal.

"Did it ever occur to you that the rules of the practical was just a little too _simple_?" Shizuna asked, immediately silencing the teen. "Like really? A famously prestigious school like U.A - one whose Hero course is so notoriously difficult that it only accepts _40 kids_ outright - only asks for you guys to take down robots for your practical, and nothing else? Considering that the school has a history of giving its applicants difficult challenges for past practicals, none of you thought that the simplicity of this year's test was just a little bit suspicious?"

"Wait a damn second! Are you telling me that there was more to the test than smashing freaking robots?!" he exclaimed, now not the only one who was startled by the news. Many in the class were just as shocked.

"There was Bakugou," Aizawa confirmed, jumping into the conversation. "During the entrance exam, you were told that you had to take out robots in order to earn points. Here at U.A., we call them villain points, which you earned once the robots you beat were out of commission . . . What you weren't told was that a second set of points were being awarded as well. Those were the rescue points, and they were only earned through actions like looking out for your fellow competitors or saving them from being crushed or something. You know, the heroic stuff that's not as flashy as taking down a hunking piece of moving metal."

"Oh, I see what you mean . . ." said the girl with jacks for earlobes. "The judges wanted to see if we were willing to put aside our own goals for the sake of helping those in need."

"Exactly! That's the kind of thinking I wanted to hear!" said Shizuna, agreeing wholeheartedly with Jirou's response. "You all simply weren't told about this because one: it would have been too easy a thing to do, and two: we wanted to see if you would come to that conclusion on your own. You know, actually think like _real heroes_ . . . Judging from how shook some of you look right now, I'm guessing you didn't realize it at all till I just told you right?" Shizuna asked, getting some sheepish nods in return. "Thought so . . ."

" _I don't know if I should be sorry for them, or completely exasperated by their cluelessness. . ."_ Aizawa mumbled, shaking his head.

"Anyway, Bakugou, the reason I mention this is that, yeah, you may have gotten first place like you wanted, but your triumph is quite a hollow one since you were the only one in the Top 10 who failed to earn a single rescue point. . . Just in case you don't believe me. Here! See the breakdown for yourself."

Shizuna then took out her own tablet and tapped the screen, showing the board that displayed the Top 10 finishers from the entrance exam in all its glory. Class 1-A was well represented on the board, with Kirishima, Uraraka, Iida, Tokoyami, Bakugou, and Midoriya all finding their names on the list.

Just as she said, Bakugou had the top spot with 77 points. However, they were all under the column marked 'Villain Points', while a big fat zero made its home right next to it in the rescue points column. He wasn't the only one with such a lopsided point total though. In fact, Midoriya was in the opposite situation that Bakugou found himself in. While he had earned zero villain points to his name, he did earn a cool 60 rescue points for his efforts.

"As you can see, you do have the top spot, but it looks so one sided when you look at the board," Shizuna reiterated as she turned off her tablet. "I always say that it's best to cover all your possible bases to make sure you're not in trouble in the long run. . . Just think about it, if the judges had been considering rescue points alone, well, you wouldn't be standing here right now, would you Bakugou?"

Her words were an eye opener for the teen, who managed to scowl after all things considered. Not only was he was irritated with the points his teacher was making, but he was also annoyed with himself for not realizing that there was more to the exam sooner. He looked on the verge of setting off some explosions, simply to release some pent-up anger, but before he had the chance to, Shizuna continued to speak.

"It's okay to be driven to get to the top of the heap, but your special kind of tunnel-vision will get you in trouble if you're not too careful," Shizuna adds. "When you're an official hero, you'll be expected to work in all kinds of team-ups with all kinds of people, and no team is going to be successful if one of their members keeps thinking of his partners as extras and has a superiority complex as big as the Tokyo Tower!"

Kaminari and Sero actually chuckled at that one, but Bakugou shut them up with a fierce glare, and a few threatening explosions emanating from his palms. Aizawa and Shizuna both shared a quick glance, neither impressed with the display they had just witnessed.

"There's also your tendency to react in ways that's, well, less than heroic," Shizuna added as she shook her head. "Your first instinct when you feel like you've been slighted or if something doesn't go your way is to attack it, or at least violently yell at it. . ."

"And what's wrong with that?!" Bakugou barked. "You saying this is gonna be an issue for me?!"

"If you continue with this behavior, yes, it definitely can be . . . Bakugou, you can attract the wrong kind of attention to yourself with the way you act toward others, thus putting both you and those around you in possible danger. Some villains like your kind of attitude, so if you don't want to cause yourself continuous headaches in the future, I'd kindly suggest you start toning down the rhetoric down a bit."

"MY BEHAVIOR WON'T ATTRACT THE VILLAINS' ATTENTION!"

Yeah, it wasn't hard to see that Bakugou didn't like what the Katana Wielder was insinuating.

"Every time you used your quirk today, you screamed "DIE!", you tried to attack Midoriya earlier instead of simply asking him about his quirk, and just now you threatened Kaminari and Sero with your explosions to shut them up . . . How would that kind of behavior not attract villainous attention? Please tell me! I'd love to know."

Bakugou was about to speak, but stopped as he got his mouth open, realizing that Onizaki-sensei made a very strong, bulletproof point that could be backed by the various witnesses that surrounded them. He knew from the look on her face that she probably had a counter argument ready for anything he could possibly say too, so he remained silent, still mulling over her words. The class, who were expecting a fiery comeback from the naturally combustible teen, was shocked that he kept quiet, most notably Midoriya.

Seeing someone put Bakugou effectively in his place, even if it was just for a moment, was something that he thought he would never get to see in his entire life.

"Like I said: It's okay to be driven to reach your goals, but keep in mind that your actions have consequences. You really need to think about how much your behavior can have an impact on those around you, and it wouldn't hurt to be a little nicer to people, at least, every once in a while," Shizuna finished as she put her hand in her pockets. "Do I make myself clear Bakugou?"

"Yeah, I guess I can keep that in mind . . . Don't expect a miracle though." Bakugou had mumbled the last part to himself, but Shizuna - and those with really good hearing in the class for that matter - still heard him.

She chose to ignore it for now.

"That's all I can ask for . . . Guys, I'm not here to put you down and make you depressed about your futures," she stated as she looked at the rest of the class. "As a teacher, one of the things I'm here for is to point things out to you that you may not be previously aware of, whether it's something academic, something about your quirks, or in some cases, your piss-poor attitudes. How you take what I say is still up to you though. I'm simply just the guide."

"When she puts it like that, Onizaki-sensei definitely makes a lot of sense." said Tsuyu as she looked around the class.

"When we wallow in stagnation, our teachers will act as our guides toward better progress." Tokoyami added in his poetic kind of way, his words, though descriptive, making sense to the rest of the group.

"Trust me, each and every one of you will be hearing from me before this first year is over, but before we can finally let you go, there's one other student that I want to talk to." said the teacher as her eyes went straight to the one with red and white hair. "Todoroki, your quirk is registered as Half-Hot, Half-Cold in the official database, correct?"

"That's right . . ." the dual-haired teen mumbled, curious as to where this was going.

"Well then, from what I've seen so far, it might as well just be No Hot, All Cold," Shizuna bluntly stated, not caring if her pun was bad.

And yes, it was bad, but at least Kaminari and Sato thought it was funny. "Yes, you've proven that your ice-half is powerful, but where was the fire? Your other half could have been useful in some of the test. It probably would have been the better option, but you never used it. Not one time . . . In a test where everyone was valiantly trying their very best to stay within the program, pushing the use of their quirks to the very limit in some cases, you only used half of yours. I'm wondering if you were being too conservative with it, or didn't care enough to really try it . . . So, tell me, why were you holding back so much?"

Everyone's eyes were locked on Shouto immediately, patiently waiting for what his answer would be. Daisuke tried to hide the obvious smirk that was threatening to show on his face as he looked at his friend, waiting like the rest of them for his response. He always figured that Todoroki would be confronted with this question by someone else outside of his family and small circle of friends one of these days.

He just never thought it would happen so publicly, but he was a little happy it did.

Yukino, on the other hand, simply watched on with an eyebrow raised, intrigued that her aunt would catch on so quickly to her friend's refusal to use his fire, and exasperated with Shouto because she always had a feeling his stubbornness would catch up to him someday.

She didn't think it would happen so publicly either, but she figured this was fate's way of getting Shouto to start rethinking his 'No Fire' mantra or try to at least.

As for the dual-haired teen himself, he was now starting to feel like the main attraction in a sideshow. He always figured that someone would ask him about why he never used his fire half in battle. He just never expected to be confronted about it on the _very first day of school_ , and thanks to being effectively caught off guard, he had no answer for her.

Shizuna, who had been locked in a silent stare off with Endeavor's son for the past couple of minutes, decided to give him a way out. She may have fired off the first shot, but she quickly figured it was best to push this battle to another day.

"You know what? You don't have to answer now . . ." Shizuna mumbled as she shook her head. "But I must warn you. Your ice isn't going to help you in every battle you'll get yourself into. Someday you will be forced to use that fire . . . Here's to hoping that you've got enough practice under your belt before that time comes. Being a liability in the heat of battle is never a good feeling after all."

Shouto nodded, getting the message loud and clear. He knew that the woman was making a very valid point, but considering the personal vow he already made, he had no idea if he would really resolve himself to use his fire again. He turned to Daisuke and Yukino, both giving him looks that ensured that they were leaning toward their aunt's side on this one, much to his chagrin.

Only time will tell if he really took the woman's words to heart, or even give it some close consideration for that matter.

"I could say more to the rest of you, but I think I'll save it for another time. . . Don't worry, your times will come," Shizuna finished, her words a promise that she had no plans on breaking. "Ok, they're all yours Aizawa."

"Thanks . . ." he mumbled, a little impressed at what he just heard and witnessed. He had mainly been focused on seeing what kind of quirks he had to work with throughout the upcoming year, but what Shizuna just said made him realize that he also had plenty of personality issues and other hang-ups to navigate as well. He really did have his hands full this year, and if Bakugou, Todoroki, and Midoriya had quite the large hiccups to overcome, who knows what other problems the rest of his class were facing in their own lives.

Yeah, he was going to need a serious nap to think things over.

"Anyway, back in the classroom, your curriculum sheets are waiting for you on your desks. You're all free to go, but Midoriya, make sure you pay a visit to Recovery Girl before you leave the premises. . . See you all tomorrow."

"Have a good evening everyone!" Shizuna said with a small wave as she followed Aizawa toward the side of the building.

"Damn, when you said your aunt was blunt, you weren't kidding!" said Kaminari as he looked at the twins in disbelief.

"You got that right. I was honestly hoping that she wasn't going to call my name next after what she said to Bakugou," said Ashido as the group made their way inside. "She really got him to shut up! I didn't think anyone would!"

"SHE DIDN'T GET ME TO JUST SHUT UP PINKY!" Was Bakugou's instant response as he yelled at the horned teen. "She just gave me a lot to think about!"

"It seems you haven't internalized it just yet though . . ." said Kirishima, who immediately earned the blonde's ire. As Bakugou started yelling at the redhead, with Daisuke, Sero, Ashido, Kaminari, and half the class for that matter getting caught in the crossfire, Shouto and Yukino looked at the commotion in mutual disbelief before sharing a quick, knowing glance with each other. Considering all that has happened so far, they knew they had much to talk about on the way home.

As for their teachers, as they walked toward a separate entrance, a loud, bordering-on-obnoxious cough caught their attention. When they turned their heads, All Might was looking at them with his usual grin on his face.

"Oh Toshinori, you were watching the proceedings?" Shizuna asked, noticing that he was emerging from the shrubbery. ". . . And from the bushes no less."

"Indeed, I was Madam Blade, and I must say, you really did make some compelling observations out there, especially with young Bakugou," he told her quite cheerily before turning his attention to Aizawa. "And Aizawa, really? A _logical ruse_ to make sure they all did their best? You've never had any qualms before when it comes to expelling students. You expelled your entire class last year after all."

"Hm, you have a track record of expelling students you feel have no chance in the world of heroes, but you spared young Midoriya when you were well within your right to. After all, the only test he did well in was the softball pitch," All Might continued as he pointed his finger at him. "You could have expelled him, but you didn't. You must have felt his potential if you're allowing him to stay in your class . . . Am I right?"

"Potential? Midoriya is just above the zero mark at this point. He's just treading the water All Might, not yet floating, but not yet drowning either," was the Erasure Hero's quick, but blunt response. "If he, or anyone for that matter, falls under that mark, I will expel them. You have my word on that."

"Hmm, I have a feeling that Aizawa and I will never see eye-to-eye on things." The Symbol of Peace disappointedly mumbled as he and the Katana Wielder watched the underground hero leave.

"It's probably because you two have different ways of looking at things. You have your hope and idealism, and Eraserhead has his logic, reasoning, and rationality. Sure, you may differ, but there is one thing you have in common, at least . . ."

"And what would that be?"

"You guys are both here to teach the next generation of heroes. Isn't that what matters?" she asked, walking away before she could even hear his answer.

"Yeah . . ." All Might mumbled as he watched her leave. "I guess you're right."

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it! The Quirk Apprehension Arc has ended!**

 **So, a few things . . .**

 **1** **.** **I think, in terms of friendships, I'm going to have Daisuke fall a little more in line with the Baku-squad while Yukino falls more with Shouto, Midoriya and the rest of that circle of friends.** **As I plan out my story, it just felt more natural this way . . .**

 **2\. I'm not a Bakugou basher. Trust me, I honestly don't hate him. I think he's one of the most interesting characters in the series, but I've always wondered what would happen if one of the teachers had actually called him out on his behavior earlier in the story and how it would affect him going forward, which I'm exploring with this story. In this case, Shizuna fills that role, but if it ever really does happen in canon, I'm hoping Aizawa does it. He** **'s the teacher most likely to do it anyway. . .**

 **3\. I've also wondered what would happen if someone called out** _ **Todoroki**_ **for only using half his quirk earlier on, and again, Shizuna is fitting this role. I still won't have him actually actively use it till the Sports Festival Arc though - we all know Midoriya's the one that finally gets through to that thick skull of his; that's still going to happen - but I did decide to introduce the issue earlier on just to explore it as an actual issue, or a running gag . . . I'm not really picky.**

 **4\. Aizawa and All Might may clash more as the** **story** **goes on, but probably more for comedic effect than anything else. They'll reconcile** **,** **in time.**

 **Next chapter will definitely be an aftermath of the day's events. There'll be some parent-to-kid interaction, some friend-to-friend interaction, and even some teacher-to-teacher interaction.**

 **Next on the schedule, the students start getting the full slate of what U.A. has to offer in terms of classes. Yes, which means 1-A's first classes with Shizuna as their World History and Combat Skills teacher, and of course, All Might's first class as the Foundational Hero Studies teacher.**

 **You know what that means? *wink, wink***

 **Ladies and gentlemen, the Battle Trial Arc will soon be upon us.**

 **Thanks for reading and see you all next chapter. This has been Sandsnake** **Q** **ueen, signing off!**


	8. Aftermath

**A/N: Welcome** **everyone!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter,** **especially** **the little chewing out certain individuals got toward the end of it. Heh. I know more of it went to Bakugou but come on.**

 **It's Bakugou!**

 **All right, without further ado, let's see what's going on with our cast of characters now that the Quirk Apprehension Test is over and done with, shall we?**

* * *

 **Chapter 7** \- Aftermath

"Girls, I don't know which was better: Finding out that no one is getting expelled, or not getting called out by Onizaki-sensei in front of the entire class!?" Uraraka exclaimed, relief evident in her voice as the six of them walked into their locker room. They had split off from the boys once they reached the room, thankfully escaping the walking tirade that was Bakugou, who they could still hear mouthing off down the hallway as the door swung closed.

Their hearts went out to the rest of the boys who were feeling his wrath right now.

"I think we can all agree that no one getting expelled is always a good thing . . . Like seriously, did you all see Midoriya out there a while ago?! He was on the verge of _tears_ when he realized he was staying!" Jirou added as she walked toward her locker. "Aizawa-sensei really knows how to torture us when he wants to. . ."

"The ruse was a bit uncalled for, but it did bring out the best in us. You can't deny that." Tsuyu reminded them as she hopped down the aisle.

"On the other hand, it was nice to see that Bakugou can actually be quiet for more than five seconds," Jirou countered, dismissing Tsuyu's point to make one of her own. "Was it just me, or was he actually struggling to find a good answer for all the stuff Onizaki-sensei was telling him?"

"It's not just you. We all saw it, and it was GLORIOUS!" Ashido cried out as she skipped over to her locker. "I was starting to think that no one was going to speak up and talk him down a peg, but Onizaki-sensei proved me wrong!"

"I had a feeling he wasn't going to be the easiest person to be around when I first met him," said Tsuyu as she took off her sneakers. "Hearing him speak confirmed it, ribbit . . . Onizaki-sensei's observations were pretty on the nose if you ask me. It was almost scary to see how on point she was."

"Granted, they were only guesses, but they were _well-placed guesses_. . . Also, just in case you were so shocked by Onizaki-sensei's deduction skills that you didn't notice this, but Bakugou didn't refute any of her assumptions. _Not a single one_." Ashido added as she pulled out her shirt and blazer. "It's like she can see into your past with just one look. Like she's looking into your _soul_. . . Um, Yukino? Has your aunt always been this intuitive?"

"She's so intuitive that it's almost terrifying. . . Well, that's how my mom likes to describe it," Yukino mumbled as she slipped on her skirt. "My uncle has always said that Aunt Shizuna has always had an innate knack for guesswork. She could have been one hell of a detective, well, if she had went the police route that is. . ."

"Hm, Onizaki-sensei would have definitely been a valuable addition to the police force if she took that path," Yaoyorozu added, thinking it over. "It felt like we were watching an interrogation when she was talking to Bakugou out there, and she obviously had the upper hand."

"Hm, considering what we've seen of Bakugou so far, I'd say he just made it easy for her to figure him out," Yukino added. "He doesn't have the most pleasant of personalities, does he?"

"Bakugou has shown that he is stubborn and doesn't show much concern for those around him . . . He's so unpleasantly straightforward that he makes himself an open book." Momo mumbled as she tightened her ponytail, already halfway done changing. "Do you think he'll actually take what Onizaki-sensei said into account and try to behave better?"

"It's possible, but I have a feeling that it's going to take a very - and I mean _**very**_ \- long while before we start seeing major improvements in that area," Ashido answered as she buttoned up her shirt. "Anyway, here's to hoping our critiques from Onizaki-sensei won't be as harsh!"

"HERE HERE!" called Uraraka and Jirou, the rest of the girls simply nodding in agreement.

"Um Yukino?"

"Yes Tsuyu?" the white-haired teen asked as the frog girl hopped over. She, like most of the class, had started growing comfortable with calling Asui by her first name, despite only knowing her for a few hours now. Other still struggled, most notably Midoriya, but they would eventually get used to it, in time.

"Well, what your aunt said about Todoroki has been nagging at me since we came inside ribbit," she answered, taking a seat on the bench between Yukino and Momo. "If Todoroki can use both ice and fire, why only use his ice?"

"Hmm, Tsuyu's right," said Momo, jumping into the conversation. "His fire would have been the better option in some of the tests. He just needed to apply it accordingly . . . Granted, his ice is powerful and impressive. However, your aunt is right Yukino. Todoroki did hold back in a situation where he was pretty much required to go all out. . . It's definitely a suspicious choice on his part."

"You must have some idea of what went behind his thinking right?" Asui decided to ask, looking up at Yukino with her naturally wide eyes. "I know I may appear like I'm prying too much, but I figured you were the best person to ask."

"They got a point . . . So, got any ideas?" Uraraka asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

"I have a couple . . ." Yukino reluctantly admitted as she fixed her tie. She knew from the looks on their faces that the girls were expecting an answer, but she didn't want to admit too much, mostly because she didn't know the _f_ _ull story herself_.

Shouto was definitely a man of few words. He was always stingy on details regarding his home life, either giving one-word answers, or no answer at all. Yukino always thought about asking his siblings instead, but she figured she would only get the same answers from them in return.

Eventually, Yukino pushed the idea aside, preferring to find things out with just her eyes and ears, and though she didn't hear much - Daisuke was much more suited for that anyway - she did manage to see some interesting things, especially when they were young.

When they were in elementary school, whenever Shouto would come over - which was rare in of itself at the time - he always made sure to wear loose, long sleeved shirts. Yukino usually wouldn't think anything of it, but when Shouto would continuously make a conscious effort to make sure that his sleeves covered the entirety of his arms, she grew a little suspicious. Her suspicions were confirmed on a day where he wasn't so vigilant, and she and Daisuke ended up bearing witness to a long, hand sized bruise that ran up his right forearm. Shouto reasoned that the bruise was a result of training with his father - which was technically true - but Yukino always had a feeling that she was only getting half of the full picture.

Daisuke and her weren't able to do much in that instance, but her mother and father were an entirely different story. Usually, Shouto would be picked up by one of his siblings before either parent could come home, but one day, they both managed to be home earlier than expected. They both spotted the same forearm bruise, despite the half-and-half quirk user's vain attempts to hide it, neither liking what they saw. Shouto tried to use the same training excuse on them, and though they accepted it, neither parent looked like they truly believed it.

Yukino remembered that particular afternoon well. When Fuyumi came over to pick her brother up hours later, her mother volunteered to walk them back to their house, reasoning that she had to talk to Endeavor about something important. An hour later, she returned, almost strutting in with a pleased grin on her face.

Her and Daisuke were immediately curious, and they ended up asking Shouto about it the next day. He didn't have much to say, telling them that as soon as they arrived, she greeted Endeavor at his door, told him that they needed to talk, and dragged him by the collar into his office, the living, breathing fireball yelling all the way. All that he and his siblings could hear for the next twenty minutes was their father's muffled yelling, mixed with quiet moments that were likely Ice Mist saying her piece in a cool, measured tone.

Once she re-emerged from the room, Ice Mist waved goodbye to Shouto and his siblings and went back home without a word. Endeavor ended up emerging minutes after that, quietly scowling as he looked around the hallway. When he spotted his children standing in the doorway of the kitchen, he shot one long look at Shouto before leaving for his bedroom, never emerging for the rest of the night.

Whatever Ice Mist said to him did the trick, because after that night, Shouto never came over with large bruises on his arms - or anywhere on his person for that matter - ever again.

Sometimes knowing a fellow Top 10 hero had its perks.

Yukino felt that since it was _Shouto's business_ , it was his story to tell . . .

. . . Well, when he was finally good and ready, that is.

However, she didn't want to leave her new classmates in the dark, and thus, left to make their own possible misconceptions about the half-and-half teen.

Any time that happened, it never worked out well for any of those involved.

So, Yukino figured it was best to give them an _abridged_ version, so to speak.

"Yes, Shouto can use both ice and fire, but he's been using his ice exclusively for a long time now. Years in fact," Yukino finally admitted as she slipped on her blazer, not fazed by the shocked glances that were now coming her way. "He hasn't used it after having a big disagreement with his father when he was younger."

"Woah! Way to keep a grudge I guess . . ." Jirou mumbled as she walked over with her gym clothes in hand. "But seriously? He hasn't used a trace of his fire in all that time?!"

"The most he'll use it for is when he's defrosting something, usually himself when he uses his ice too much in one sitting," Yukino answered as she folded her clothes. "Other than that? No, nothing else."

"Hmm, I wonder what happened to him that led him to make such a huge choice," Uraraka mumbled as she brought a hand to her chin. "That's quite a change if you ask me!"

"It sure is!" called Ashido as she jogged over to the group. "But the only ones who really know for sure at this point is Todoroki and his father. . . You think we should ask him?"

"That wouldn't be a good right now Ashido. Todoroki's reasons for not using his quirk at full capacity are a personal one, and we wouldn't be doing him any favors by trying to pry the info out of him. If he hasn't told one of his longtime friends about it, then he'll likely won't say it to people he just met . . . We just have to respect his privacy and leave it at that," said Momo as she stood up. "C'mon everyone, let's go! I'm sure the boys are already heading back to the classroom without us!"

" _Thank you Momo_ _. . ._ _"_ thought Yukino, relieved that the conversation had finally come to an end. She honestly didn't know where the conversation would have gone if it was allowed to continue, so Yaoyorozu's interference was quite a welcomed one.

Contrary to what Momo originally thought, most of the boys did decide to wait for the girls before heading up to their classroom. Bakugou and Tokoyami were the only ones missing, having gone ahead once they were done changing.

When she spotted Daisuke and Shouto standing towards the back of the group, Yukino beelined straight to them, a slightly apologetic look crossing her face as she came to a stop at Shouto's side.

"What's with that look sis?" Daisuke asked as they started moving with the crowd. "That's your, ' _I may have let something slip_ ' face. . . Was it something bad?"

"Depends on how you see it," she said before turning to Shouto. "The girls started asking me about your, well, _lack of fire_ today, so I had to give them a vague answer to keep them at bay. I didn't say anything specific; just enough that they won't think about it for a while, hopefully . . . I hope you don't mind."

"As long as you didn't give away anything too specific, I'm fine with it," Shouto mumbled. "I know people will have questions, but I don't plan on answering them. I'm only here for one thing anyway. . ."

"Yes, yes, we know. You want to spite your dad and show him that you don't need his fire to be a good hero. You can't go a week without mentioning it sometimes," Yukino mumbled. If Shouto was annoyed by her comment, he was doing a fine job not showing it. "But I figured if the truth was ever to come out, it's best if it came from you because this is technically _your_ business we're talking about here."

"Thank you for the consideration Yukino, but I doubt I'll be telling my life story to the entire class any time soon," said the dual-haired teen. "They don't need to hear about it - hell, I haven't even told the full story to you guys yet."

"Will we ever hear it though?" Daisuke was quick to ask. ". . . You know you can tell us anything right?"

"I know, but I'm still not up to it," Shouto conceded "Maybe one day, just not right now."

"Aw, that's too bad. . . The anticipation is killing me Shou."

"Well, I guess you'll just have to suffer a little while longer then. . . Hurts doesn't it?"

"You are a cruel, cruel man Shouto Todoroki."

"Nice to know you think of me like that Daisuke. I'm touched."

Yukino couldn't help but shake her head as the boys went back and forth, a common sight she has witnessed for as long as she could remember. She could get Shouto talking in a conversation decently enough, but Daisuke was easily the one that could get the half-and-half teen's more combative, sarcastic side out in the open for all to see.

What made their conversations so hilarious was that neither of them realized when they fell into one of their sarcastic spats. It was as if they were in their own little world, never caring about who would witness their verbal spats.

They never stopped till they reached their classroom, where their curriculum sheets awaited them on each of their desks. While some lingered to discuss the forms and what could happen throughout the year, Shouto, the twins, and a few others simply picked theirs up and walked out.

When they reached the front gate, they all stopped in their tracks once they spotted the stretched limo waiting along the curb, looking brand new in all its sparkling, buffered glory.

"Oh! That's my ride home!" Yaoyorozu announced, everyone's eyes going straight to her.

"Huh," Yukino mumbled as Kaminari started drooling at the sight of the vehicle. "Do you always get picked up by limousine?"

"Not really," said Momo. "I usually take the train to and from school. My parents only send the limo out when they're hosting or attending an event later in the day and they want to make sure that I'm home on time to prepare for it."

"What's the event?" Daisuke couldn't help but ask. "Well, if you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, it's just a small dinner my parents are hosting for some of their company's investors, again. The investors tend to bring their kids over for these dinners, so it's only fair that I attend as well," Momo calmly explained as she cocked her head to the side. "I'm sure your parents have had to do something similar, right?"

"Our mom will occasionally host guests for dinner, but it's never anything too formal," Daisuke mumbled, his ears picking up on some chatter coming from the classmates who were now exiting the building. "It's like a family atmosphere kind of thing, and yes, she does most of the cooking, with our help of course."

"Also, she absolutely loves seeing the shocked faces she gets when other heroes actually see her cook. It's icing on the cake for her; makes it all the more worth it." Yukino added, a smirk lining her face.

"Hmm, that sounds fun, and sneakily entertaining," Momo admitted, turning to Shouto. "What about you Todoroki? Is your father a good host?"

"My father doesn't like hosting people at our house. He's simply not the hosting type."

"I'll say . . ." Daisuke mumbled under his breath, his tone so low that no one else heard him.

"I see," Momo mumbled, the sudden sound of the limo's horn grabbing her attention. "I better go. See you tomorrow!"

"Bye Yaoyorozu!" Daisuke called, sounding a little too eager as Yukino waved and Shouto did a quick nod in recognition. "One thing's for sure. She's definitely going to have a fancy ride home."

"Hm, hopefully they won't bombard her with too many questions before she makes it inside." Yukino added as she started walking off toward the train station, Shouto following quietly behind her.

"Well, good luck to her because I wouldn't be able to put up with that for long." Daisuke sighed as his gaze lingered on Momo's face, watching as she fended off their classmates' - mainly Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari, Uraraka, and Ashido's - frantic questioning with bashful grace.

"You can't even handle your own pet cat Daisuke."

"Don't start with me Todoroki!"

Shouto simply looked away, ignoring the glare Daisuke was sending his way. As soon as he faced forward, Yukino's sudden shaking caught his attention. He was going to ask her if she was okay, but a high pitched, repetitive sound stopped him in his tracks.

It took Shouto a good minute to realize that the repetitive sound was coming from Yukino.

It took him another minute to realize that the sound was her _laughter_.

It was in that moment that Shouto realized that he made her laugh, like, an _actual laugh_ , something that he wasn't used to doing since he wasn't the most comedic of guys. He was so used to hearing her sarcastic, and occasionally sardonic, chuckling . . .

. . . But this one was different. Her laugh was light, almost airy, like a wind chime caught in a quiet breeze. It was genuine and heartfelt, and in that moment, Shouto realized that Yukino actually thought that his comment was _funny_.

Probably a bit patronizing, but _**funny**_.

He found that he liked the sound of it, and the smaller, more emotional part of him wish he could hear more. Of course, the stronger, less emotional side of him would not willingly admit that out loud, so he just settled for walking by her side, silently amused as he watched Yukino compose herself from the corner of his eye.

With Daisuke sulkily following behind them, the trio made their way to the station in companionable silence. When the building finally came into view, a sudden thought popped into the cat teen's head, his eyes going straight to Shouto as a smirk pulled at his lips.

"Oh, I just remembered. . . Shouto, now that you've gotten a good look at our aunt, what do you think of her now?"

"My opinion hasn't changed. Your aunt is very much an intimidating person. . ." Shouto bluntly answered, having no qualms at being truthful in the face of Daisuke's knowing expression. "At the very least, I didn't expect her to call me out in front of the entire class, and she was so on point too . . . Did either of you two warn her about my quirk?"

"Nope!" Yukino answered as Daisuke defiantly shook his head. "Auntie never asked me about it. . . Did she ask you Dai?"

"Not at all, and I don't think she asked mom about it either. . . Ma knows how you use your quirk these days, but she doesn't know the exact reason behind it," Daisuke added. "I guess Auntie figured out the gist of it from what she saw today and what she read in the paperwork."

"That is plausible . . ." Shouto trailed off, shaking his head.

"To be honest Shouto, I think you got off easy," Daisuke admitted, thinking it over. "From what Ma and her other siblings have already said about her, Aunt Shizuna could have gotten so much worse if she wanted to. Today, it seemed like she was holding back."

"Hm, this was Auntie's first day as much as ours. She probably wanted to get the lay of the land first before she started putting us through the wringer," Yukino suggested as she flipped her braid back, letting it fall along her spine. "Today, she simply fired off warning shots, _well placed warning shots_."

"What do you mean by that sis?"

"Couldn't you tell Daisuke? Auntie was making a point today, and she did so by speaking to the three guys in class with the strongest offensive quirks . . . Quirks like Shouto's, Midoriya's, and Bakugou's always get the most attention, and if she's willing to talk so straight up and bluntly with them, then she's going to have no qualms speaking to the rest of us," Yukino explained. "If you hadn't noticed, the three of them were the most talked about during the test, so it's not hard to imagine that our classmates see them as the frontrunners, for now. . . Well, them and Yaoyorozu at least."

"Hm, you know, maybe you should include yourself in your assessment sis." Daisuke mumbled as he started walking off toward the ticket counter. "If I remember correctly, some of our classmates were giving you looks too, so maybe they see you as tough competition as well."

"Huh, I noticed that too," Shouto added, shocking Yukino. "You may not be the strongest one offensively, but it was easy to see that you're certainly one of the best in class on a technical level."

"That's because my quirk _forces_ me to think on a technical level," Yukino clarified as they walked over to the station's convenience store. "Your quirk is all about overwhelming power and Daisuke's is all about speed and agility. But me? I have to really think about how I apply my quirk in the situations I'm in. After all, I can only materialize so much water, unlike _some people_ I know who can conjure up giant ice walls that can cover entire buildings like it's nothing."

"I'm the only person you know who can materialize giant ice walls like they're nothing." Shouto immediately said, the tiniest hint of pride appearing in his voice, though it was buried under the flatness of the delivery.

And yes, Yukino's sarcasm completely went over his head. "Anyway, haven't you been working with your mom in increasing the amount of water you can control and produce?"

"I have. . . My base limit may be the amount I currently weigh, but I have been making some strides in increasing my output."

"Your base level is the amount you weigh huh?" Shouto mumbled. "How much do you weigh anyway?"

Judging from how stiff his friend suddenly got as soon as that question left his lips, the half-and-half teen immediately knew he should have never asked it in the first place.

"Shouto, as one of your oldest friends, allow me to give you some valuable advice that you should keep in mind for the rest of your life," Yukino calmly suggested as she looked him in the eye, her hard gaze sending a chill down his spine. "You never - _**absolutely never**_ \- ask a girl about her weight. It's just something that you never ask, _period_. You will only cause yourself future pain if you do."

"Is it really such a bad thing to ask?"

"Very! It's even worse when you ask it to someone who won't hesitate to punch you in the face for it . . . You're lucky I'm not one of those people." Yukino hissed as they stepped into the store, Shouto now a little wary of his friend as they started perusing the shelves.

He was eager to grab what he wanted and go, but he knew from the knowing look that Yukino was now sending his way that there was still something that they had yet to discuss. He knew that she would never make the first move, usually letting him start the conversation when he was good and ready, but after his "tense up" during the test, he knew their talk was unavoidable at this point.

"You want to ask about what happened while your aunt was talking earlier, don't you?"

"It has crossed my mind," Yukino told him as they walked into the cold food aisle. "You froze up, point blank, and it's not hard to imagine why."

"Sorry, it's just that . . . When she said my father's hero name, I couldn't help but remember what my sister said in passing last night before I went to bed."

"Oh? What did Fuyumi say exactly?" she asked as she looked along the popsicle rack.

"That my father was possibly coming home early today."

His words stopped Yukino right in her tracks, just as she was reaching for one of the cherry-flavored popsicle sticks. When she turned her head, Shouto was looking off to the side, but she didn't miss how unhappy he was, just from his body posture alone.

"Hmm, I see. Your father usually works late into the night, only coming home early when he has a specific reason to. . . Do you have any idea what it could be this time around?"

"I have no idea," was Shouto's quick reply as he turned his head, his face as cold as the freezer they were standing in front of. "Fuyumi only said it was a possibility, but things can change. I'm hoping that it's not the case because the less I see him, the better."

"Well, you know you're always free to hang out at our place for as long as you need to," said Daisuke, appearing in the aisle with their train tickets in hand, his ears allowing him to hear everything as he approached.

"You guys never mind. Why stop now?" Shouto asked as Yukino made her picks. "Your parents even let me sleep over sometimes, practically no questions asked . . . Who does that again?"

"People that know you and care about you long enough that they're willing to let you sleep over whenever you ask?" Yukino suggested as she handed him a popsicle. Shouto didn't even need to look to see which one she got him, knowing well enough that she picked his favorite. "Shouto, they were classmates with your dad when they were still U.A. students. If anyone can understand how bad your dad can get at times, it's them."

Shouto nodded, knowing all about their parents' shared history. The twins' father Jushiro - publicly known as the Cutting Hero: Incision - had been considered a dark horse in their class, starting out slow before building himself up to prove that he was one of the top prospects in the group, though he wasn't one of the most well-known today, serving the public more as a history professor at the University of Tokyo than as the full time hero he started out as.

When it came to who was the most famous of that class, that distinction was solidly held by Endeavor and Ice Mist, by a mile. Their rivalry - though Ice Mist doesn't like thinking about it in that way - started sometime within their first year, and it has become an ongoing legend ever since, and a subject the media loves to fall back on whenever the opportunity arises.

Still, they only knew Enji Todoroki as both the student and pro-hero. They didn't know all the details of his personal life, especially his life at home, something that he was notoriously tight-lipped about, with good reason.

It was a life Shouto dreaded whenever he was home himself.

" _If only they knew how much worse he can get . . ."_

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

After dismissing his class for the day, Aizawa made his way to the staff room, ready to take a much-needed nap. When he entered said room, he was relieved to find it practically empty, save for one or two teachers sitting at their workstations doing who knows what.

" _The welcoming ceremony should be over by now. Everyone that's_ _not here_ _is either busy with their classes or doing something else with their time."_ the Erasure Hero reasoned as he walked over to his favorite couch. He stretched himself out like a cat along the cushions, moving around till he was in a position that he was comfortable with, finding himself staring up at the ceiling.

" _I need to talk to Onizaki about my class, but I can't do that now since Vlad wants her to observe 1-B during their Apprehension Test_ _,_ _"_ he thought as his eyelids slid close. _"She'll likely be in here later. Right now, a couple hours of sleep won't hurt."_

When Aizawa woke up hours later, the staff room was buzzing with activity. With sluggish eyes, he moved his gaze toward the workstations, where he found Shizuna sitting at her desk talking to Vlad, who sat across from her.

" _I wonder what they're talking about_ ," Shouta thought as he sat up, moving his feet back to the ground. "I might as well see what's up."

After stretching out his limbs to get a little more circulation working through them, Aizawa stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked over to the two. As he neared the stations, he started to pick up more of what they were talking about, soon realizing that Shizuna was trying to _warn_ Vlad about one of his students.

"I'm telling you Kan. There's something iffy about the blonde one."

"I think you're worrying just a little too much Onizaki," said Vlad, waving off her misgivings as he looked down at his paperwork. "It's only the first day after all. Don't you think you may be overthinking this a little?"

Aizawa knew that was the wrong thing to say once he felt a familiar chill go up his spine. Vlad looked like he was visibly paling by the second as Shizuna continued to stare him down, her dark red eyes boring holes into his body as she watched him in grim silence, her knuckles tense around the paperwork she was holding.

" _I better bail him out. He looks too scared to do it himself."_ Shouta thought as he came to a stop just off to the Katana Wielder's left. The darker, more mischievous part of him was actually enjoying seeing the Blood Hero squirm like a child, but the more reasonable side of him won out, knowing that it was best to free him from the blonde's glare before he outright fainted where he sat. "What are you guys talking about?"

Now realizing his presence, Shizuna turned her head, looking up at him as if to ask, _'Couldn't you have waited just five more minutes?'_. As for Vlad, he heaved out the breath that had been caught in his throat, having not dared to take in another one as Shizuna glared his way.

"How long have you been listening?" Shizuna asked, raising an eyebrow as Shouta took a seat in the empty chair right next to her.

"Long enough to know that Vlad is acting like an idiot for brushing off your suspicions so easily," said the chronically tired hero as the two turned to the bulkier male. He tried to defend himself, but Shouta cut him off with a raised hand before he could even speak, signaling that he wasn't done yet. "Before you start defending yourself, I need to know what exactly happened that brought up this conversation in the first place."

"We just came back from dismissing my class after they had their apprehension test, and as you well know, I asked Onizaki to observe my students so that she knew what to expect from them," said the Blood Hero as he finally moved his gaze back to the Katana Wielder. "We had been debating possible problems that could arise with my students when you showed up."

"So, you were debating possible problems with your students, and yet I just heard you brushing aside her suspicions over one of them," Aizawa bluntly mumbled, his words making the man in red blush in embarrassment when he realized that he had a point. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"Vlad here thinks my prediction for one of his students is a little too extreme," Shizuna added as she leaned back in her seat. "He has yet to offer a counter-argument in return."

"Which student of yours are we talking about here?

"Neito Monoma," said Vlad as he passed over the boy's file, allowing Aizawa to take a peek for himself. "He has a quirk that allows him to copy other people's quirks through physical contact. The effect isn't permanent. From what I've seen, his limit is a few minutes tops. . . What makes it so dangerous is that he seemingly gets an innate knowledge of how the quirk works once he's gained a copy for himself."

"Sounds like a powerful quirk to me . . ." Aizawa mumbled as he skimmed through the paperwork.

"I agree," said Vlad as Aizawa handed the file back to him. "But Onizaki here is still not sold on the boy's mental state just yet."

"His mental state? The fact that we're even talking about someone's mental state is always a cause for concern Vlad," said Aizawa as he turned to Shizuna. "What's the problem with his mental state?"

"Don't get me wrong. Monoma does appear to have the makings of a great hero. . . He was plenty helpful to his fellow classmates during the test, giving them tips that actually helped them along based on what he observed and copied alone," she calmly explained as she turned her eyes back on Vlad. "However, he seems like he's not one for being looked down on. . . I'm not a psychologist, but he could possibly have an inferiority complex that could get worse if we're not too careful."

"And why do you say that?" Aizawa couldn't help but ask. "What brought this up?"

"Vlad, didn't you say that when you were leading your class out the auditorium after the welcoming ceremony, you overheard Monoma grumbling about Class 1-A not being there? As I quote: _'How come 1-A gets to skip the ceremony? Do they think it's not worth their time? Do they think their better than us?'_ , end quote. . . You then finished by saying that one of the girls smacked him upside his head to get him stop his growingly maniacal babbling . . . You don't remember saying that to me?"

"And you wanted to brush off her suspicions?" Aizawa grumbled, crossing his arms at Vlad, who was now sheepishly directing his attention to anywhere else that wasn't the Erasure Hero's face. "That does sound troubling. It's only the first day and we already got a student trying to see things like it's a competition."

"But is that really such a problem though?" Vlad couldn't help but ask as he finally regained the courage to look at the two.

"Not really, as long as it doesn't get too out of hand," Shizuna advised as she shook her head. "You may regret it if you allow things to get too far, but hey! It's _your_ class! The decision is up to you!"

"I suggest you take Onizaki's words into consideration Vlad," Aizawa advised as he stared him straight in the eyes. "Her insight has been pretty eye opening for me so far. It's made me realize what kind of personalities I'm dealing with this year, and trust me, my class is quite the bunch. . . It'll help you as much as it'll certainly help me, that is, if you are willing to listen."

"Well, I'm surprised," said Vlad as he looked at the raven-haired man in shock. "I've never heard you vouch for someone so strongly before Aizawa, let alone someone that's so new to the job."

"Onizaki may be new to the staff, but she's definitely not new to U.A.," said Shouta, as Shizuna silently watched with a curious look on her face. "Plus, she's vouched for me and my classmates a number of times when we were still students. It's only fair I return the favor."

"Okay, now that last part definitely sounded like you," said Vlad as he got up from his seat and walked off.

"Returning the favor huh?" Shizuna couldn't help but ask, raising an eyebrow as she looked at the unshaven man. Shouta, now realizing what he just said, tucked his head further into his scarf before turning to face her amused expression. "Did I really do that much for you guys?"

"You shouldn't sell yourself short Onizaki," Aizawa mumbled as he looked at the computer in front of him. "You really did act like the big sister of the class. You looked out for us, and admonished us when needed. . . What?"

"Oh, nothing," she mumbled as she looked down at her notes. "It's just that, well, I didn't expect to hear that from you, that's all."

"Really?"

"Really . . . You were always one of the quiet ones in class. Took a while for you to open up to anyone else that wasn't in your _very_ small circle of friends. Hell, you were so formal with me that you didn't start using my first name till we were halfway done the school year, and I gave everyone permission to say my first name in the first week," said Shizuna as she looked up at the ceiling. "I guess because I'm so used to you being so _logical,_ that it's surprising for me to hear you give such an emotionally charged response. Well, emotionally charged for you that is . . ."

"I see . . ." he mumbled, never expecting such an honest response. "Hmm, I wasn't the most emotional student back in high school, was I?"

"Nah, Hizashi, Nemuri, and Shirakumo made up for that in spades."

"Damn straight they did . . ." he mumbled, his tone somber at the thought of their fallen friend, gone too soon before he even had a chance to make it in the world. " . . . Anyway, I need to talk to you about my class."

"Hm? Ok," said the blonde as she followed the Erasure Hero over to the couches. "This should be interesting . . . What exactly do you want to talk about Aizawa?"

"What you said about Bakugou and Todoroki earlier today, for starters," he started off as he dropped himself onto the couch he had just slept on minutes prior.

He would have continued with his thought, but the sudden arrival of Mic and Midnight stopped him in his tracks, especially since Mic practically kicked down the door first before barging into the place.

"I ROCKED THE HOUSE AT THE WELCOMING CEREMONY Y'ALL!" he yelled as he stepped into the room, Midnight following silently behind him as she shook her head.

"Yeah . . . He did no such thing." Midnight's bluntly clarified as she started dragging Mic toward the couches by his hair, the Voice Hero yelping in pain as he felt her nails dig into his scalp. "Now can you please stop telling people that you did. You're embarrassing yourself!"

"Way to kill my vibe Nemuri!" Hizashi cried out as Midnight threw him into the couch that Aizawa was sitting in, narrowly missing whacking him with his hand.

"What exactly happened at the ceremony?" Shizuna couldn't help but ask as Nemuri sat down next to her.

"Oh, just a repeat of what happened during the entrance exam. An exuberant Mic, not so exuberant students," she answered with a smirk as Hizashi shot her a dirty look. "It got worse once Nedzu started one of his classic long-winded speeches."

"I guess it was a good idea that I had my class skip the damn thing then," Shouta mumbled, his comment making Mic pout up a storm. "Don't look at me like that. . . You know your fault in all this."

"Oh yeah, now that I think about it, Shizuna, you weren't at the ceremony either," Nemuri realized as she turned to the blonde. "How come? I figured you would have at least attended this one since this is the first year that you're teaching here."

"Shouta wanted me to watch his class as they took their Quirk Apprehension Test," she explained, all eyes going to the tired looking hero. "He thought a second set of eyes wouldn't hurt. We were just about to talk about some of his students when you guys came in, actually."

"REALLY!?" Hizashi practically screeches, his eyes wide in shock. "Shouta has never had another teacher observe his class while they were taking that test before! Congratulations, you're the first one! I bet that was a huge honor!"

"I'll say . . ." Nemuri mumbled, a devilish grin crossing her face as she looked Aizawa's way. "I wonder what brought this on. Care to tell us Shouta?"

"I figured that it was a good way for Onizaki to get a closer view of what she had to work with quirk wise." Came Aizawa's blunt response, already having an idea of where his friends wanted to take this conversation.

As if he would let them do such a thing.

"Is that all you wanted to do?" Nemuri teased, crossing her arms under her voluptuous chest as she engaged in a stare off with the man.

"Yes, it is." Shouta grumbled with finality, half his face now obscured by his scarf. Nemuri took the hint immediately, but he knew from the look in her eyes that she was not going to let this go that easily.

Neither was Hizashi, who - having always suspected that his friend had a crush on the youngest Onizaki sister - was already thinking of ways he could get his friend to talk about it in the future. He knew that most of them would fail immediately upon implementation, but dammit, he was still going to try!

As for Shizuna herself, she just sat back as she watched the entire interaction unfold. It was like she was in high school all over again, listening in on the latest gossip.

The topic just happened to be her and Shouta.

She had to admit that she couldn't help but feel a little special after finding out that she was the only teacher Aizawa ever invited to watch his class do their first, and highly important, test, but you won't find her admitting that to anyone.

Shizuna was planning to keep that tidbit to herself, all the way to the grave if she had to.

"Okay, now that we got that all cleared up," said Midnight, slapping her hand against Mic's mouth before he could start interrogating Aizawa any further. "How many of this year's Class 1-A did you expel? Five? Six? _All of them!_?"

"Believe it or not. I have done no such thing," Shouta announced, resisting the urge to smirk at Nemuri and Hizashi's shocked faces. "I'm telling you the truth. I didn't expel anyone, and Shizuna was there, so she can vouch for me."

"It's true," said the Katana Wielder, her smile only growing bigger as all eyes fell on her. "I guess all 20 of his students showed him enough promise to warrant their stay in the hero course. For now, right?"

"For now . . ." Aizawa agreed, nodding his head enough that some of his hair fell into his face.

"Okay, I need details!" Hizashi exclaimed as he stared his friend down. "This must be an interesting bunch if they managed to impress you enough to warrant them all staying put. Which are barely hanging on!? Who are the frontrunners!?"

"Hizashi makes a good point," Nemuri mumbled, now sounding a little suspicious about the entire thing. "I saw your class roster, and I remember seeing some of them in action in the video records we have of this year's entrance exam. I figured some of them would have been gone by now, like that Midoriya kid that busted up the Zero Pointer."

"It's funny that you say that," said Shizuna as she looked pointedly Aizawa's way. "Midoriya was actually the one that came in last during the test, and if Shouta stuck to his threat, he would have been the one to go."

"It's not like Shouta to go back on his threats," Hizashi mumbled, sounding impressed. "I guess everyone in that class really did impress you enough to go back on your word huh."

"Just because they did well enough now doesn't mean I won't expel them later."

"Now that sounds like you," Nemuri mumbled as she stretched out her back. "You have expelled students later in the year before, and for much less. . . Anyway, what are your impressions of them? As fellow teachers tasked with educating your students throughout the year, you just have to tell us."

"Well, just before you two walked in here, Shouta and I were about to discuss two of his students," Shizuna calmly explained. "Katsuki Bakugou and Shouto Todoroki."

"Ah, the explosive kid that took first place in the entrance exam and the half-and-half son of Endeavor," Mic sagely mumbled, crossing his arms. "They do have impressive quirks."

"Their quirks are impressive, but their mentalities make them far from perfect," Aizawa bit back. "Shizuna even pointed it out to them after the test. . . Bakugou wants to be the best. You have to be blind to not see how obvious that is. However, he not only does he have an anger issue, but he's shown that he's not a team player, preferring to look down on others on his quest to the top."

"He sounds like he'll be so much fun during the team exercises." mumbled Midnight, sarcasm lacing her tone. "Did he direct any of that . . . _drive_ to anyone in particular?"

"Midoriya mainly," Aizawa mumbled, shaking her head. "According to their records, Midoriya and Bakugou came from the same middle school. They're even from the same neighborhood, so they must have a long history with each other. The anger appears purely from Bakugou's end though . . . I had to restrain him at least once before he could try to hurt him after the pitch test."

"He doesn't like Midoriya much then. I wonder why . . ." Mic mumbled as he brought a hand to his chin.

"At this point, we don't know, and Bakugou doesn't look like the sharing type, so it may be a long while before we find out." Shizuna uttered.

"I see, and what about Todoroki?"

"He didn't use his pyrokinesis at any time during the test, even in the ones where it would have proven more advantageous." Shizuna mumbled as she brought a hand to her chin. "Granted, his ice is powerful, but in a test where the main point was to use their quirks to the best of their ability, his noticeable use of only half of his is troubling."

"Maybe his control over it isn't as good as his control over ice?" Nemuri mumbled, immediately earning a disapproving head shake from Aizawa.

"You do remember who his father is right? Hizashi just mentioned it, like, two minutes ago," said the Erasure Hero, his words making Midnight blush in slight embarrassment. "We've all had our run ins with that walking flamethrower. Not only is he the Number Two hero, but he probably holds the most powerful fire quirk in the entire country. His control over it is top notch, even I'll admit that, and I think we can all agree that there's no way in hell that he would allow his son to have any control issues with his flames."

"That is true," Hizashi mumbled, looking slightly baffled, but not disagreeing with what his old friend had to say. "Maybe it has to do with something in his past. Something very personal that has affected his view on his quirk."

"That's the most likely possibility," said Midnight as she turned to Shizuna. "Shizuna, despite the rivalry that's going on between your older sister and Endeavor, aren't their children still pretty close?"

"They've been close for a long time; ever since they were little kids," Shizuna admitted. "If anyone has any inkling as to why Todoroki won't use his fire, it should be the twins. . . Then again, Todoroki may not have told them everything, and they may just be in the dark as we are."

"It must be that serious if he's willing to hide it from two of his closest friends." Mic mumbled as he shook his head. "Are you going to ask them anyway?"

"I could, but I think it's best to go directly to the source to get the answers we seek."

"Still, with who he has as a father, and the kind of firepower he likely possesses as a result, you would think he would want to show it more."

"From what I saw today Midnight, Todoroki doesn't appear to be the showoff type. He's too serious and focused for that," Shouta quietly admitted. "All I know is that whatever the problem is, it's affecting how he applies himself in practice. He's not going to be a proper hero until he has all his personal issues straightened out, and the same goes for Bakugou."

"Ah, the joys of being a high school hero teacher, right guys?" Hizashi mumbled as he got up from his seat. ". . . Anyway, I better get moving. I gotta go do my radio show."

"And I have an early patrol tonight . . ." Midnight added as she too got up. "See you guys later!"

"Bye!" Shizuna called after them as they started heading for the exit. "Now that they're gone, shall we continue going over your class, or was Bakugou and Todoroki the only ones you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh no, we still have plenty to discuss," Shouta answered as his eyes turned to the nearby coffee machine. "One that's going to require a lot of caffeine to get through."

"You must have a lot on your mind then," Shizuna teased as she got up from her seat. "How about I get the coffee while you organize your thoughts in a way that makes sense, hmm? How do you take your drink?"

"Straight black, no sugar please!" Was Aizawa's immediate reply as the Katana Wielder walked off. She gave him a thumbs up without looking his way, never noticing that he was taking the time to watch her leave.

And yes, he may have been enjoying the sight he was seeing, just a little.

A small chuckle is what stopped him in his tracks though, and he turned his head to see Midnight and Mic standing by the door with gleeful smirks on their faces. While Mic was holding back his laughter, Midnight mouthed 'Busted!' before pushing him out the room, her grin the last thing he saw before she walked out the door.

They had caught Aizawa in the act, and he very well knew it, rolling his head back in exasperation as he mentally braced himself for the teasing that was bound to follow.

" _Crap . . . They're not going to let me live this down. I can feel it."_

No, they certainly we're not.

 **A/N: We got gossip, we got discussion between teachers, and we got Midnight and Mic gaining some serious teasing material on Aizawa. He he!**

 **Next chapter is the students second day, and before we get into the battle trials, we need to see how Shizuna conducts her classes. This should be fun. (I'm sounding a bit like a broken record, aren't I?)**

 **Thanks for reading. This is SandsnakeQueen signing out.**


	9. Second Day Expectations

**A/N: Alright y'all, welcome to the second day at U.A** **!**

 **As promised, this chapter will serve as part one of two, focusing on Shizuna's skill as a teacher as she and Class 1-A** **go** **through her two classes, with her assistant Aizawa by her side of course. XD**

 **Be warned, things may get wordy.**

 **Anyway, on with the show!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8** **-** Second Day Expectations

"Something on your mind Shouto?"

The dual-haired teen looked up from his hands to see Daisuke staring at him from across the aisle, his blue eyes obviously curious. Yukino, who was sitting in the seat right next to the red-and-white teen, was still immersed in the book she was reading, tuned out from the world thanks to the music pumping through her earbuds.

"What makes you think that something's on my mind?" he asked, trying to not act like he wasn't being troubled by anything.

"You don't look relaxed at all," came Daisuke's blunt reply, looking like he wasn't going to argue with him, no matter the reason Shouto would give him. "You look like you're thinking too hard over something. . . Is it that bad?"

"Well, not really, I guess," Shouto conceded, looking out the window to see the scenery passing them by. "I was just thinking about last night, that's all."

"Oh yeah; Yuki mentioned that your old man had planned to come home early yesterday," Daisuke mumbled, leaning back in his seat. "Let me guess: He put you through another round of harsh training, didn't he?"

"Surprisingly, no, he didn't."

Even though he said it, it was still something that Shouto had found hard to believe, and he had _lived_ it. When he turned his head, the half-and-half teen realized that Daisuke was having a hard time believing it too, his eyes wide in disbelief as he tried to make sense of what he just heard. It was at this moment that Yukino chose to look up from her book, her eyes finding her brother's confused face before turning to see Shouto, who didn't look much better.

"Um, what did I miss?" she asked, putting down her book before she plucked out her earbuds. "You both look very confused, and not in a funny way . . . What happened? Is it something serious?"

"Um, not really Yukino, and you didn't miss much actually," Shouto calmly replied as their school started coming into view. "My father didn't put me through training when he came home early yesterday, that's all."

"Huh, that's different, even for him," she mumbled as she turned off her mp3 player. "Putting you through training is usually the only reason why he comes home early these days. You said that line yourself. . . So, what's with the change of pace?"

"Well, he wanted to know the layout of our class," said the heterochromatic teen as their train slowed down. ". . . So to speak."

"You mean, he wanted to know who among your classmates should be worth your time in terms of outright competition," Daisuke helpfully supplied, going to the heart of the matter as the train came to a complete stop. "He wants to know who your main rivals could possibly be."

"Exactly. . ." Shouto mumbled as the three grabbed their bags and stood up from their seats. "He wanted me to give him a full rundown of everyone in class as well as their quirks."

"That doesn't sound too terrible." Daisuke mumbled.

"Then I made the mistake of mentioning the quirk apprehension test," Shouto added, shaking his head. "He wanted me to give him every possible detail that I could remember from that test. Strengths, weaknesses, everything. . ."

"And so, in typical Shouto fashion, you decided to be a hardass and made him work for it, didn't you?" Yukino bluntly asked as they stepped off the train, her question earning getting a hearty chuckle out of her brother.

"Being a hardass to him is the only way I can handle his presence these days. . . Maybe Natsuo really is rubbing off on me?"

"I'll say," Daisuke mumbled as he stuffed his hands into his pockets as they followed the crowd. "Your brother is an expert hardass when he wants to be. I would have been surprised if he hadn't been rubbing off on you . . . So, after you gave your 'report', did anyone you mention peak your dad's interest?"

"Besides you two, Yaoyorozu, and Bakugou, not really," he mumbled as the three walked down the staircase. "He sees Bakugou's explosions as the closest quirk to match mine in offensive power, and he recognizes the flexibility and versatility that Yaoyorozu's quirk affords her. As for you two, well, do I really need to say why?"

"Not really," Yukino mumbled. ". . . At this point, I've already accepted that no matter how much I want to be different and carve my own path in heroism, I will never escape the cloud that is the Ice Mist vs. Endeavor rivalry by virtue of being the Cold Hero's daughter. It's a fate that's simply inevitable for me."

"And me!" Daisuke conceded. "Don't forget me there in that assessment sis . . . So, did he say anything else? Like, anything on the others?"

"Well, he did say - and I quote - that ' _They are all simply cannon fodder for your rise towards greatness_ ', end quote. Does that count?"

"Aw, your dad is such a charmer. . ." Daisuke mumbled, shaking his head at the Flame Hero's tactlessness.

"And that is why his agency's media department always has to script his responses before he makes a scheduled TV appearance." Came Yukino's dry reply as they walked toward the exit. "You know what? I think that's enough talk on Endeavor for one day. Let's just get to school and see what the teachers have in store for us today. Alright?"

"Considering what Aizawa-sensei put us through yesterday, who knows what today will bring," Daisuke mumbled as they started their trek toward school. "Well, here's to hoping things won't be too bad."

"I'm not sure we're that lucky Daisuke."

". . . Oh, be quiet Shouto. I do not need your negativity right now."

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

 _ **A few hours later**_

Shizuna and Aizawa were sitting in the couch area of the staff room, waiting as the minutes ticked by until they had to go down to 1-A's homeroom and relieve Present Mic. While Shizuna spent her time going over her lesson plan, Aizawa was laid out across from her, his eyes half open as he looked up at the ceiling.

"How much longer do we have before we head back to my class?" he asked, not bothering to check the time for himself.

"As of now, a little less than fifteen minutes," she told him after checking her phone. "Mic should be winding his English lesson down right about now. . . Now that I think about it, what is Mic like as a teacher exactly? I'm afraid to know the answer but tell me anyway."

"Well, he's actually quite calm when he teaches; almost passive even," Aizawa mumbled, thinking it over. "However, the students tend to get very confused when they see him teach in the first few days. Not because what he teaches is confusing, but because they can't believe the same man they've seen be an eccentric loudmouth outside of the classroom can be so calm and compelling when it's time for him to actually teach."

"That does sound like Mic in a nutshell. Sure, he's naturally outgoing and loud - obnoxiously loud at that - but when it comes down to it, he can be quiet and mature when he needs to be," Shizuna surmised as the two stood from their seats. "Well, here's to hoping that the class is not that out of it when we get there, I guess. It's better to teach when the students are a little lively, not when they're confused, or completely bored to death."

"What exactly do you have planned for their first World History class anyway?" Aizawa couldn't help but ask as he stretched out his back.

He had become quite familiar with the lesson plans for the Combat Skills course by virtue of taking a more active role in it. However, Shizuna's plans for World History was still much more of a mystery to him. Granted, history wasn't a subject that he gave his full attention to when he was younger, but even he had to admit that the subject had plenty of useful lessons to offer.

"Trust me, I have a lot planned for the students," she told him as they walked toward the exit. "But before I get into the details, can I ask you something first Aizawa?"

"Shoot."

"What's your honest opinion on group projects?"

Shouta stopped in his tracks as soon as he heard the words 'group project', almost shuddering at the thought as Shizuna waited for his answer. As a man that tended to value individualism more than teamwork, he wasn't outright against the idea of the group project, however, thanks to his experiences as both a student and a teacher, he did have his fair share of reservations on the subject.

"Judging from that look on your face, your opinion on them is not the best huh?" she asked as he shook his head. "I'm guessing it has left a bad taste in your mouth huh. . ."

"Something like that . . ." he mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, I'll admit. Group projects have their worth as a way for people to embrace teamwork in an academic setting, but not every group works out the way you hope for . . . People butt heads, they lose focus on the real task at hand. Group projects is its own can of worms that I just don't like getting into that much. You know what I mean?"

"I do, and fair enough," Shizuna mumbled as they left the room. "You haven't had the best experiences with group projects, hmm?"

"Not really; I was actually pretty lucky to be put into some pretty decent groups back in high school," he mumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I don't include that one group I was put in during the entrance exam though. . . That definitely wasn't a fun time."

"Let me guess: during the teamwork test, you were unlucky enough to be put in a group that either didn't realize what the point of the test was until it was almost too late, or you had to point it out for them yourself when you realized that they were nowhere close to figuring it out."

"Would you believe me if I told you it was a little bit of both?" He asked as they turned the corner onto the staircase.

"Considering how so many people think they can get away with just relying on their quirks instead of using their brains in battle, yes, I can definitely believe it." She told him, her tone indicating that she likely had a similar experience when she had to take the exam.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this way."

"You never were," Shizuna conceded, looking straight ahead. "Anyway, the reason I asked for your opinion is because, well, I don't know about you, but I see group projects as a lot like hero team-ups."

"How so?"

"Well, just like in group projects, some hero team-ups will see all of its members work together in perfect harmony. Those are the ideal teams. Then there are the ones that may see only a couple of heroes do all the hard work while the rest try to help out in some way, and then there are the team-ups where only one person is capable of doing all the work, leaving the rest to cling on to his or her coattails to soak up any credit they can get later on."

"Hmm, when you put it that way, the similarities are unmistakable." Aizawa mumbled as the two descended the stairs.

"Indeed . . . Though I don't really like them myself, through my years of teaching, I've found that group projects are a decent way of facilitating what a student could be like around people as an adult. Specifically, what they'll be like as _heroes_. Catch my drift?"

"I believe I do," Aizawa mumbled as they reached their floor. "You want to give the classes a group project to see how well they can conduct themselves in a team. . . You're secretly testing them to see what kind of heroes they may eventually be like if they were let out into the real world right now."

Aizawa knew that he got it right when a mischievous smirk started to stretch across Shizuna's face, his eventual smirk matching her own as the two turned the corner. "Huh, assigning the students one of the most disliked assignments imaginable while testing their hero potential all in one, and we haven't gotten through the second day of the semester yet. . . You are too much Shizuna Onizaki."

"Hey! Me? Too much?! Don't you think that's a bit of pot calling the kettle black there Aizawa?"

"How so?" He asked. "What have I done toward the students that can be considered too much?"

"Excuse me?! I wasn't the one who potentially traumatized their students by threatening them with expulsion if they ended up last in their test yesterday," she fired right back as they turned another corner. "What do you have to say for yourself? I'm sure that most of them have decided to not willingly trust you from that point forward because of your 'logical ruse'."

"Okay, touché. . . You got me there," Aizawa mumbled, surprisingly not as annoyed by the retort than he thought he would be. Then again, Shizuna did just make a fairly good point. "But I do have a good reason for teaching the way I do."

"Go ahead! Say it; I'm all ears."

"Well, heroism involves a lot of trauma, so I was only preparing them for what they'll inevitably face in the future. Also, I don't mind if not all the students trust me as a person in general. I just need them to trust me as their teacher . . . Besides, it's good to not trust people you only just met. The best kind of trust is built over time anyway."

"Hmm, okay, I'm with you on the first point. As for the second one, I guess you have a point there as well . . . Now that I think about it, it actually helps to explain how you and Mic became such good friends in the first place," The Katana Wielder mumbled as they neared the classroom. "Sorry, but I just can't imagine you instantly trusting Hizashi from the moment you guys met."

"I didn't," Shouta mumbled as they finally reached the door. "When we first met, I thought he was a blatant loudmouth that desperately needed an off switch, but eventually he grew on me."

"Why do I have the feeling that the lead up to you guys eventually becoming friends involved a lot of moments where he tried to get your attention but failed miserably, yet still grabbed said attention in a subtle way that he never realized, even today?"

"Because that's exactly how it happened," Aizawa mumbled, surprised by how well she hit her guess on the head. "Your ability to guess stuff really is quite impressive, and quite scary Onizaki. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Many actually, and eh, it's a gift," she answered as she knocked on the door. "Though, I can't claim all the credit on this guess, only most of it. . . Hizashi pretty much admitted to me that that was how things went for you two in the beginning while I helped him review his lesson plans a few days ago."

"That does sound like something Mic would pull . . . He's known for having a big mouth after all," Shouta grumbled as the door slid open, the Voice Hero greeting them with his signature big smile in place, his books tucked under his left arm. "How were they?"

"Better than I expected!" Mic announced as the three looked into the class of 20, many of them trying their best to appear like they were not paying attention to the three.

And yet, many actually were. "Although, they could have shown a little more energy during the lesson. They were so quiet; you'd think I was talking to a bunch of mice."

"It's the second day of the semester and your first day teaching them. It's going to take them a while to really warm up to you, or any of us for that matter," Shizuna warned him as she stepped into the room. "Though in Aizawa's case, considering what happened yesterday, it may _really_ take a while before the students warm up to him."

"Then again, it may take a while before he warms up to _them_." Hizashi helpfully added, their banter capturing the class' full attention, which was now becoming more obvious by the second.

"You're not helping Mic." Aizawa mumbled as he walked into the room.

"Honestly, a small part of me wasn't."

Shouta wanted to glare at him, but by the time he turned around, the door had already slid shut, Hizashi's loud chuckling growing faint, yet unmistakable, as he made his escape down the hallway.

" _The people I get surrounded by . . ."_ he thought as he walked over to a seat waiting for him by the windows. One of the caveats of being allowed to assist with Shizuna's classes was that he had to be wide awake for _both_ of them. He knew that he would have no problem with that during Combat Skills and Pragmatism, but World History was another animal, having slept straight through his fair share of history classes when he was younger.

It was only thanks to Hizashi's quick timing that he didn't end up in detention for any of those incidences.

They were only three minutes into the class - most of it being spent on watching the Katana Wielder set up the monitor for her lecture - and he was already missing his sleeping bag, which he had left in the staff room. However, Aizawa would make the effort to stay up, partially because he didn't want to hear Nedzu chide him on falling asleep again during teaching hours - something the cross-animal hybrid liked to rub in his face from time to time - and partially because he did not want Shizuna to kick his ass later for not keeping his eyes open in the first place.

When they were students, Shizuna had a habit of making her displeasure known when she saw that someone chose to not pay attention when something important was being discussed. No one escaped her wrath, and having seen what she was capable of firsthand, he certainly did not want to be the blonde's next victim.

Well, not in front of his own students, at least. Aizawa had already established that he was a teacher not to be messed with during yesterday's test. He did not want all that effort to fall by the wayside because he couldn't keep his eyes open for a good hour.

"Alrighty then," Shizuna announced once she stepped to the podium, having finally gotten the first slide of her PowerPoint on screen. "To start things off, I need to make a quick admission with the rest of you, just to clear the air after what happened yesterday . . ."

"What admission Onizaki-sensei?" Asui asked, voicing what everyone else was, more or less, thinking.

"Well, since your homeroom teacher has a known penchant for expelling students on a yearly basis, I honestly wasn't expecting such a full house this semester. However, considering what I have planned for you all in these coming months, things still work out just fine either way."

"Wait . . . WHAT?!" Kaminari exclaimed, being one of the few students to voice their blatant disbelief. Most of the others had frozen in shock at what she admitted, turning their startled gazes to the man in black sitting by the window.

"Hold on for just a second Onizaki-sensei!" Uraraka cried out. "What you said just now . . . The logical ruse yesterday-"

"THAT COULD HAVE ACTUALLY HAPPENED?!" Kirishima yelled out, cutting her off.

"Well, pretty much!" said Shizuna, her cheerily delivered answer only making the class - well, most of it - pale even further. She then turned to Aizawa, who had been silently watching as the class digested the sudden news. "So, care to explain yourself over there Sleepyhead? I'm sure the students would greatly appreciate some clarification here."

Aizawa raised an eyebrow, not at being put on the spot, but at the half-teasing, half-mocking tone the blonde was using. He could feel everyone's eyes on him at this point, the tension getting higher by the second as they all waited for his answer, well, if he ever bothered to speak at all.

As for Shizuna, she was watching him with a calm expression on her face, mischief dancing in her dark red eyes as one of her eyebrows slowly went up in challenge, just daring him to speak his mind.

" _Way to put me on the spot_ _Shizuna_ _. . ."_ Shouta thought, letting out the deep breath he held before turning to face the class. "What Onizaki-sensei said is true. I have expelled my fair share of students every year since I first started teaching here. In fact, just last year, I ended up expelling my entire class, most of them before the first month was even up."

"Now then, before you start trying to barrage me with questions, listen first!" he ordered, stopping the class before they could even open their mouths. "Yes, originally, I was planning on expelling students who didn't prove their worth during the test yesterday. . . Notice that I said _students_ , not student."

"It didn't matter who came in last after all," Shizuna mumbled, her voice loud enough that everyone in the class heard her. "You were ready to expel any of them if they didn't show that they had what it took to be a hero."

"That's correct," came Aizawa's flat reply, his voice brokering no room for argument. "Last place didn't matter. What mattered was that you were willing to show the effort in becoming proper heroes. You all managed to do that for now, but make sure you keep it up. Just because I spared you yesterday doesn't mean you'll last through the end of the year."

"None of you are perfect, regardless of what connections you have or how powerful your quirk is, so don't act like you're ready for the big leagues when you can barely act competent here. . ." he added, his glare now stern. "I will not be warning you of this again. Do I make myself clear?!"

"YES SENSEI!" Was the class' resounding answer as Aizawa looked around the room, making sure that everyone understood what he had just said. The latter part of his speech was more so meant for Bakugou and the recommended students, the former because of his troubling attitude, and the latter simply because all the recommended kids that he got up to this point ended up being the most burdensome and egotistical of the bunch.

Even though they still had their own entrance exam to take, most of the recommended students that he had the _privilege_ to teach thought that they were better than everyone else just because they had a good word put in for them.

And yet, they were always the first ones to get the boot.

Some had even threatened to sue him for their abrupt departure, but those threats never came to fruition. Considering how formidable U.A's legal team is and considering the leniency the teachers were allowed to have when conducting their classes, those cases didn't have much of a leg to stand on anyway.

The five Aizawa had his eyes on had varying reactions to his words. Yaoyorozu appeared stoic, but her eyes appeared wary, almost uncertain to a degree. Bakugou was looking off to the side, annoyed, but not making a big fuss over what he said. He probably thought that the 'big leagues' line was mostly directed at him.

It actually was.

Todoroki was watching with a slightly bored, slightly indifferent expression that was starting to remind Aizawa of his fiery father. As for Daisuke, he was looking at him as if he was still trying to figure him out, which the Erasure Hero couldn't blame him for since he was notorious for being so hard to read. However, his ears were pointed straight up, signaling that his words definitely got his attention.

The one whose reaction was the most surprising to Aizawa was Yukino's. She was watching him with unreadable eyes, her face so unmoving you would have thought she was made out of a block of ice. There was nothing there that Shouta could use to figure out how the white-haired teen felt about his words. To be honest, it was one of the best poker faces he had seen in a long while, and while he was mildly impressed with the sheer audacity of it, he couldn't help but also feel a bit wary of what her true intentions could be.

" _So b_ _razen, and yet it still makes me curious as to what her next move could be . . . Hmm,_ _so many people have spent years trying to perfect their best poker face, and_ _here she is pulling it off like it's nothing,"_ he thought, always appreciative of a good poker face once he sees one. " _That girl can go places in the underground hero scene with that look alone_ _._ _"_

"I hope you guys keep what Aizawa-sensei has said in mind," Shizuna added, retaking control as the Erasure Hero sat back. "A good hero is always on their toes, and if you want to get through this year with your spot in the Hero course still intact, I suggest you don't take things easy, or at face value. You guys need to be prepared for anything, and everything, including your first project."

"FIRST PROJECT?!" Kirishima and Kaminari exclaimed in stereo as most of the class simply groaned at the news. However, there were a genuine few who were curious as to what the project could possibly be.

"Yes, your first project. However, you'll have to wait till the end of class before I tell you all about it," Shizuna stated as she clasped her fingers together. "First, I need to quickly go over a few expectations for this class."

"Expectations?" Ashido couldn't help but ask as she voiced her confusion, her voice so loud that she didn't realize how loud it was till it was too late.

"Yes Ashido; the expectations," Shizuna reiterated, turning her head to the pink-skinned teen. "For starters, I expect you all to be fully awake for this class. I'm not very kind to those that sleep in class, so I don't want to see any sleepyheads here . . . Not only will most of what I'll test you on be said during the lectures, but if I even see you _hinting_ at nodding off, I will fail you for the day. Five times equals an instant fail for the entire semester. This will be your first and only warning, so heed it well."

"Five chances?" Shouta asked, a little dumbfounded by the number. "That's a bit high . . . Don't you think you're being a little too lenient with them Onizaki?"

" _A_ _H! WHAT IS HE DOING?!"_

That was the general thought going through most of the students' heads, none of them liking how their homeroom teacher was suddenly questioning the blonde's methods. Many of them were in favor of the five strikes policy, but if Aizawa managed to convince Onizaki otherwise, they may be kissing it goodbye before their first lesson could even begin.

"Oh?! So, you think my policy is too lenient huh?" Shizuna asked, leaning against the podium. "Then, if I might be so bold to ask, what do you suggest Aizawa?"

"Shorten the strikes allowed from five to two," Aizawa suggested as he leaned back in his seat, his answer earning him the exasperation of his students. "Heroes need to be vigilant at all times after all. If the students can't bother to pay attention at all times in class, then they need to be punished accordingly for it. . . It's as simple as that."

"Hmm, you do make a good point," Shizuna mumbled, bringing a hand to her chin as she thought it over. Realizing that she was actually giving his words some serious consideration, Aizawa smirked under his scarf.

When he looked at the class, betrayal, shock, and annoyance were just some of the emotions that were marring the students' faces. For him, their reaction was worth it, regardless of what Shizuna decided. "You know what? You're right . . . Five is a little too lenient. I'll make it three instead."

"Three!?" Aizawa asked, his tone voicing his curiosity at the choice. Most of the class were visibly relieved at the news, mostly because Shizuna wasn't fully going by what he had suggested.

They were still disappointed that the number did shrink, but hey, they were willing to take what they could get.

"Three?! And not two?"

"To me, two is a bit too small. Three is right in the middle. It strikes a nice balance, don't you think?" she asked as she turned to the class. "Besides, for this period, this is _my class_ , not yours. I call the shots here, and you're here to assist. So, until I call for your assistance, you can just sit there and look like you're paying attention, okay?"

"It's _history_ class. I always pay attention in history class." Aizawa countered, trying to look firm, even though he knew what he just said was a big fat lie. Shizuna didn't look too convinced by his words, and neither did some of the class. "Pfft, fine . . . Whatever you say senpai."

Aizawa knew he made a mistake as soon as the word 'senpai' left his lips. It was like he opened up the floodgates, twenty pairs of curious eyes now trained on him, wanting to know more on the subject.

Some looked way more eager to ask than others.

"Um, excuse me!" Asui called out as she raised her hand, the only one to do so at this point as everyone started mumbling amongst each other. "But, did we just hear you right Aizawa-sensei? Did you just call Onizaki-sensei 'senpai', ribbit?"

Aizawa knew that this was coming, but a miniscule part of him still hoped that the students would just ignore his slip and pay attention to the lesson Shizuna had planned.

His luck really wasn't that great, and he ended up turning to the blonde senpai in question, hoping that she was willing to give him a way out. "Do I really have to answer that question?"

"Might as well . . . They look like the kind of bunch that won't let things go until they get the answers they seek," she mused, bringing a hand to her chin. "Besides, is it really that bad to admit that I was your senpai when we were students?"

"SO, IT'S TRUE?!" Ashido practically shrieked, silencing herself when Shouta turned his glare on her. ". . . Sorry."

"Yes Ashido, it's true," Shizuna conceded, finding the pink-skinned teen still cowering at the Erasure Hero's glare. "Aizawa-sensei and I first met when we were U.A. students . . . For a while, the school had a program where each of the first-year classes would be assigned an upperclassman to serve as their student mentor. I decided to sign up to be a mentor in my second year, and I was eventually assigned to Aizawa's class, which was the Class 1-A of their day."

"What was Aizawa-sensei like as a student?!"

"Were some of the other teachers part of his class?!"

"Did he ever have a crush on someone?!"

Aizawa ended up grimacing into his scarf, very annoyed at all the questions that were suddenly coming her way, especially the last one, courtesy of Uraraka. He already had Mic and Midnight suspecting that he had a crush on the Katana Wielder. . .

. . . He didn't need his entire class joining in on that thinking too.

Luckily for him, Shizuna decided to nip all the talk in the bud, sending out her dark aura throughout the entire class, silencing them immediately, and with a hard stare to boot.

"Students, I'm in no mood to talk about things on that front, so I suggest you stop with those questions for now. You don't want to push the limits on my patience, trust me." she warned, pulling her aura back once she was certain that everyone got the message.

"Look, I want a good relationship with you guys. I want you all to enjoy this class, but if you get out of line, I will shut things down immediately," she added, her tone brokering no room for argument. "Do I make myself clear!?"

The class simply nodded, many still too spooked by her aura to even come up with a verbal reply. This was only their second time feeling that aspect of her quirk, and the difference since then was remarkable, even scary, for a few of them. If they didn't want to feel it again, they knew it was best to just not tick her off.

Aizawa, who had felt the full effects of her aura a couple of times before, simply watched them with an indifferent look on his face as they came to their realization. Of course, due to prior experience, he was a bit sympathetic to their plight, but the more logical part of him figured that due to their behavior just minutes prior, they deserved it.

" _If they're smart, they will not make annoying Shizuna a habit_ _. . ."_ he thought as she watched her take in a deep breath. _". . . Then again, let's see how long they'll last."_

"Anyway, back to what we're truly here for, learning," Shizuna announced, her smile almost jarring after what she just put the class through "In this class, I don't plan on droning on and on about something that you'll likely won't use in your adult lives . . . I'll only teach you the relevant stuff, and luckily for you guys, there are a lot of relevant lessons to be learned in history."

"For example, when you finally earn your licenses and can legally call yourselves heroes, you'll be expected to work with the police and other law enforcement agencies on missions. If you're lucky enough, you'll also be interacting with politicians and government officials for one reason or another, especially if you are high up on the hero rankings . . . Sometimes, they just want to get a photo op or give you a medal for the good job you've done for society. Other times they'll talk to you about 'delicate situations' that could have dire consequences for the country, maybe even the world at large."

"And then there are the ones that simply want to manipulate you for the sake of benefitting their own hides. . ." Shizuna warned, her glare getting dark once again. "So, expect to learn a lot in the vein of politics, the law, and the bureaucracy through these upcoming months. Trust me, you'll need it."

"Um, sensei?" Jirou called out as she raised her hand. "What do you mean exactly by 'politicians manipulating us'?"

"Well, Jirou, there's a reason why the politician is known as one of the least liked careers out there today," said the Katana Wielder. "Politicians are voted in to represent the people, and sure, there are some honest ones out there that truly work to better society, but others are definitely not like that. . . Some politicians are usually in it for their own self-interests or for the interests of the groups that fund their campaigns. They may give you the time of day, but only if that means you vote for them come the next election."

"Well that's depressing to know . . ." Sato mumbled as he leaned back in his seat.

"That's life, so get used to it everyone! Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, including heroism, which I hope you all have realized after yesterday's talk . . . I seriously don't want to repeat myself," Shizuna mumbled, noticing another hand go up. "Yes Uraraka?"

"How bad are the politicians now? I'm sure it's not as bad as you may think Onizaki-sensei." The gravity girl suggested, her question almost making Aizawa roll his eyes at her naivete.

"It's pretty much a plague at this point . . ." he mumbled, adding his two cents into the mix.

"Well, at least we know what Aizawa-sensei thinks on the subject." Shizuna mumbled, sneaking a look his way. "Anyway, shifty politicians have been a problem in politics for as long as it has existed, and will likely be this way for as long as the institution exists. Some politicians take bribes. Others pass stupid laws that may help one group but negatively affect everybody else, and then there's the latest phenomenon . . ."

"Latest phenomenon?" Yaoyorozu dared to ask.

"Politicians that can't help but latch on to the next up and coming hero, just so that their own prestige grows a little higher in kind," Shizuna simply answered, looking her way. "Every political party has their share of attention seekers and hero leeches . . . Idealistic and gullible heroes happen to be their frequent targets; however, the smart ones know when to avoid them at all costs. They are the ones that know how to separate the good from the bad."

"So, how exactly do you suggest we deal with those kinds of people, if we ever run into one?" Sero asked, speaking before anyone else could.

"Well, you could become an underground hero like Aizawa and just avoid the spotlight altogether."

Everyone turned their heads to look at the Erasure Hero, who simply stared back in return.

When they turned back, none of them looked convinced.

"I figured you would be unconvinced, but just remember, not all underground heroes are as sleep deprived and grouchy as he is . . ." Shizuna advised, knowing her words may have struck a nerve with the sleepy-eyed man.

"Hey, I accept the fact that I'm sleep deprived. Being a teacher and an active hero tends to do that," Aizawa couldn't help but say in his defense. "However, I do not accept that you have called me a grouch."

"It's okay Aizawa. Not everyone is able to accept their faults. It'll take time, but you'll come around." The blonde bit back in return, completely unfazed by his response.

She did not turn around to see what his reaction was at her rebuttal but judging from the amused looks that some of the students were sporting, it was likely that he was not too pleased with her at the moment.

"Anyway, going back to Sero's question. Politicians, regardless of their intentions, do command a level of respect that you should always be mindful of. At best, they could be a valuable ally. At worst, they can be a living nightmare, so, it's best to be cordial and professional with them at all times. . . You're less likely to get involved in a political scandal if you do."

"Now then, the second major theme of this class is _combat_ ," Shizuna then announced, bringing a smile to a number of the students' faces, especially Bakugou and Kirishima. "Like it or not, violence has been a mainstay in history, even before it was formally recorded. Combat is inevitable in heroism regardless in what you decide to specialize in, so, you'll be learning lessons revolving around some of history's most violent events. I'm talking major battles, wars, revolutions, the works."

"But remember, not every fight involves weapons or your bare fists. Sometimes the more important battles are fought with words alone," she was quick to remind them, tempering the excitement just a little. "Lessons can be learned from all forms of combat, win or lose. The smart ones know to learn from their defeats just as much as their victories, and if you think you'll get through your entire careers without a single loss to your record, you're only kidding yourselves."

"Pffth, watch me . . ." Bakugou grumbled, but no one else heard him.

"Now then, the final theme will be society and culture," Shizuna finished as she started looking around the room. "Anyone care to tell me why this theme will be so important? Yes, Iida?"

"It's best to understand not only the people you encounter, but the areas you may find yourself working in." Was his prompt response, earning him an approving nod from the blonde.

"You pretty much got the gist of it right there Iida," Shizuna stated before turning back to the rest of the class. "In the future, you may be asked to help out with important cases overseas. Or, you may decide to establish yourselves as heroes in an entirely different country from the get-go. That's how I ended up starting my career. . . The same goes for All Might. Remember, he started his career in the U.S. before coming back to Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun may be the place of his birth, but it's America that truly got to witness what he was like in the beginning stages of his career."

"Damn those Americans were lucky!" Kaminari quietly mumbled, his thoughts shared by practically half his classmates.

"Anyway kiddos, it's important for heroes to understand the society and culture of the areas they may eventually find themselves working in. The same applies to working with any hero coming from a different area in return . . . It just makes things easier on yourselves. You'll learn to appreciate a new concept that you've previously been unaware of, and the better you understand things, the less likely you'll cause an international incident that'll follow you for the rest of your life."

"Has that ever happened to you Onizaki-sensei?" Tsuyu asked, her head shifting to the side as she let out a small _ribbit_.

"Thankfully, no, but there have been plenty of heroes that have gone through their share of worldwide controversies, including All Might. Don't bother looking it up on the internet. The mission was not allowed to be disclosed to the public, but boy did the Hero Association get a good laugh out of it. . ."

Her words instantly got the class buzzing again, most of them curious as to what the incident actually was. "Hey now! Settle down! I still have a class to teach. . . Do you want me to bring the aura out again?!"

Everyone immediately shut themselves up as soon as they heard her threat, not wanting to feel her wrath again, especially so soon after the last one. Noticing the silence, a pleased grin came across Shizuna's face as she quickly shifted to the presentation, revealing the next slide. "Good, you're all quiet. Now then, let's get this lesson started, shall we?"

 **A/N: Okay, this is a good ending point** **for** **Part One. If I went any further, then the chapter would have definitely gotten too long for my liking.**

 **I hope you liked all the interaction, especially between Shouta and Shizuna. This will not be the end of it, not by a long shot of course. XD**

 **Part Two, which will involve the class' first project, the class getting to know each other a little more, and the combat skills class, will come next, and then after that, the battle trials baby!**

 **This has been SandsnakeQueen, signing off!**


	10. Project Teamwork

**Chapter 9** **-** Project Teamwork

Forty-five minutes had passed since the history class started, and surprisingly enough, Shouta Aizawa was still awake . . .

. . . He hadn't fallen asleep for one second of it and counting.

Outside of his hero work, it was probably a record.

Even though Aizawa wasn't sitting up and watching Shizuna with rapt attention like his students were, he was still listening in to the lecture, and he had to admit, it wasn't the boring affair he expected it to be.

Then again, all his prior experiences in history classes did damper his opinion of them in general, so he had to admit, his bias did color his opinion going into the lesson today.

Thankfully, Shizuna Onizaki helped to alter that opinion, slightly.

It was only a small change, but it was a change, nonetheless.

From the start, the Katana Wielder knew what she was doing. She didn't drone on and on about irrelevant, off-tangent information that the students would forget about once the day was over. She kept things relevant and on point for their time, her eyes scanning the room to make sure she didn't have any distracted students on her hands.

In truth, if Aizawa was asked to describe Onizaki's teaching style to someone who had never stepped into her class before, he would describe it less like a boring lecture, and more like a storyteller weaving her latest tale for her captive audience.

Shizuna was short and concise when she needed to be, only expanding on the details that she felt the students needed to know about. She was also quick to answer their questions when they asked them, though Aizawa was quick to notice that the blonde had a certain look that would cross her face when a particularly stupid question was asked. . .

. . . And there were indeed quite a few of them.

Shizuna even managed to relate the day's topic - the ancient Greek city states of Athens and Sparta - to current hero work, going as far as to point out some current heroes that would likely fit in each city state.

This, unintentionally, led to a big debate on where the current Top 10 would fit if they had to be placed in either city state. Everyone ended up agreeing on most of the selections, and even Aizawa found himself agreeing with the choices made. However, when All Might and Endeavor came up, the consensus was definitely not a unanimous one.

Witha quick surge of her aura, Shizuna managed to nip the disagreements in the bud before they resulted in a bigger conflict, and just in time too.

Bakugou was _this close_ to throwing his explosive hands at Kaminari and Sero, the most vocal of his opponents. All three - and most of the class for that matter - agreed that Endeavor was more Spartan than Athenian, despite his well-known intelligence. The only one who didn't voice their opinion was Shouto, who stayed quiet for that part of the discussion, despite some of his classmates' prodding.

When it came to All Might, the class was much more evenly split. Kaminari and Sero were quite vocal on why they thought All Might leaned more to Sparta due to his quirk. However, Bakugou was a firm believer that the Symbol of Peace would be Team Athens, though he did hurt his argument by spending more time calling them out instead of saying why he thought All Might was more Athenian to begin with.

"Okay then!" Shizuna called out, pulling back her aura from the now quiet class. "Now that we got all that talk out of our systems, do I have any volunteers willing to recap today's lesson? One person can recap Athens, the other will do the same for Sparta . . ."

Momo and Bakugou ended up taking on the task, being the first two to raise their hands. Momo recapped all what they learned about Athens in a concise, eloquent manner that held everyone's attention from start to finish. Bakugou, on the other hand, recapped Sparta in a brusque, brutally honest, and straightforward manner that had no room for any rebuttals that his fellow classmates could offer.

Shizuna couldn't help but think that both would have surely fit into the respective city-states they had described from just their responses alone.

"Thank you Yaoyorozu, Bakugou," Shizuna stated, shaking her head. "Now then, even though they are two of the most remembered civilizations in history, Athens tends to get more of the spotlight since its societal contributions still affect us to this day . . . In truth, it's easy to consider Athens and Sparta as rivals since they were such polar opposites of each other, which brings us to your first project."

" _Oh, h_ _ere we go . . ."_ Shouta thought as he sat up, the sound of groans and defeated sighs hitting his ears. _". . . This should be interesting."_

"Athens is now the capital of modern-day Greece, but it's not as democratically idealistic as it used to be. Sparta, on the other hand, has fallen even further, now being a simple town tens of thousands strong," the blonde explained as she moved to the next slide, displaying images of what the two areas looked like today. "Simply put, both city-states are a _long_ way from their glory days, but what if they still existed in their peak form today. . . That's what you all will be trying to figure out."

"Um, how exactly is this going to work, Onizaki-sensei?" asked Sato, speaking from the back of the class.

"I'm glad you asked," Shizuna answered, switching to the next slide, which displayed the project's overview. "For your first project, you all will be exploring the idea of how Athens and Sparta would be viable in our 'quirked' society today, and you will be doing this in teams of ten."

"Teams of ten?!" Sero asked, a little bewildered at the thought.

"That's quite large for a group project. . ." Yukino mumbled, her eyebrows raised slightly as she kept her eyes on the screen.

"I know the number allowed for each team is quite large for a group project, but I always meant to have this project done by two teams . . ." Shizuna mused as a smirk crossed her face.

"Now that I think about it, you all should be happy that you survived yesterday's test. There would have been more work to go around if you didn't," she added, her face gleeful as most of the students paled as her words settled into their brains. Aizawa was equally pleased at the implication, though he did a much better job of hiding it.

"Anyway, one team will be Team Athens, the other Team Sparta. I'm sure you don't need me to explain which team is handling which city-state."

" _If any one of them_ _dares to ask that question_ _,_ _I may end up expelling them right on the spot_ _."_ Aizawa thought as he stared out into the classroom.

"The two teams will explore what their city state would be like if it existed today . . . How would they adapt to more modern conventions? Which old traditions would remain and which would be pushed to the wayside, that sort of thing," Shizuna explained as she switched to the next slide, which held a list of topics. "These ten categories you see must be addressed in your project: politics, history, education, culture & the arts, economy, military, law, quirks, the environment, and a wildcard."

"A wildcard?" Ashido asked as she looked at the last topic on the list. "What do you mean by that sensei?"

"The wildcard is a 10th category that's purely your team's choice. You could choose sports, tourism, crime, whatever you think will be important to add to your project as a whole," the blonde calmly explained as she turned to the pink-skinned teen. "The one caveat is that your wildcard category has to be a unanimous decision. . . Everyone has to agree to it. If even one person disagrees, it's officially a no go. Are we clear?"

" _You are really going to drive the teamwork aspect of this project home, aren't you?"_ Aizawa absently thought as he looked at the blonde, the class responding with nods of their heads.

"Anyway, each member of your team must be responsible for one of these categories," Shizuna added as she pointed to the slide. "However, just because you'll be tasked with one specific category doesn't mean you can't help out your fellow teammates with theirs. . . Who knows? Your input could prove valuable to the project, just as long as it's workable of course."

" _Yep; she's definitely going all in on the teamwork_ _,_ _"_ Aizawa concluded, shaking his head. _"Here's to hoping that these kids actually take her words to heart. . . I have a feeling they really should."_

"So, do any of you have any questions for me?" she asked, not having to wait long before the first hand was in the air. "Yes, Kaminari?"

"When is the project due?"

"I am not surprised that ended up being the first question asked," she mumbled, shaking her head as Aizawa almost snorted at the comment. "Two weeks from today . . . Yes Yaoyorozu?"

"How long should the project be?" She asked, completely serious as some of her classmates had pleading looks on their faces, as if they were silently asking her to not make it too long.

"Well, you can write as much as you want for each category, but the minimum is one full page," She answered, her face sharpening as she glared at her students. "And please, when I say one full page, I mean _one full page_. . ."

" _Uh oh. . . She just enunciated those last three words,"_ Aizawa thought, his right eyebrow going up slightly. _"When Shizuna starts enunciating, that's when she's especially serious. . . This should be fun."_

"I don't want you all to _shortchange_ me in this project because I really want to see what you guys can come up with," said the blonde, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you're going to do one full page and that's it, the wholepage must be covered from top to bottom. No half pages, no three-quarters. One **full** page. . . Trust me, you would be doing both your individual grade, and your team's overall grade a huge favor if you follow my instructions to the letter."

" _What a smart way to make sure they do as instructed,"_ Aizawa thought as he looked around at the slightly startled class. _"Heroes need to take the time to listen to instructions to get the job done. They can't let their pride, egos, or outright laziness get in the way or else the whole mission ends up failing._ _"_

" _If the students abide by_ _Onizaki's_ _directions, it'll be easier for them to get an A_ _,"_ he continued to muse, nodding his head slightly. " _If not, not only will they allow their own grade to suffer, but there's the additional consequence of taking their team down with them as_ _well. A team is only as strong as its weakest link_ _. . . Well played_ _Shizuna_ _."_

"What if we're only _one line_ shy of a full page?" Uraraka dared to ask, putting her hand back down as soon as her teacher's blank stare fell on her.

"What do you think my answer will be to that question Uraraka?" She asked in return, her tone challenging as everyone suddenly felt the familiar cold feeling of the woman's aura touch their spines. It wasn't there in full force, but it was there, threatening to attack if they weren't too careful.

"One full page it is! Forget that I even asked!" The gravity girl squeaked out, knowing that if she said otherwise, the whole class would pay for it.

"So, is that everything?" Bakugou grumbled as Shizuna pulled her aura back. So far, he figured that the assignment sounded easy enough, though he wasn't looking forward to having to work with others for the sake of getting a good grade.

"More or less . . ." Shizuna conceded, her smirk not helping to settle some of the more wary students. "How you organize it is up to you, of course. You just have to make sure it makes logical sense. Make it too far-fetched and you'll immediately lose me. Make it too boring, and you will have to redo the entire thing, hoping that you can at least manage a C on the rewrite."

"Damn, that was harsh . . . Fair, but harsh." Sero mumbled as he brought a hand to his chin.

"I can't dispute that," Iida mused, his tone low for once. "If we give in a bad paper, we would only have ourselves to blame."

"I will admit it. Most of this project will be purely speculative, but you need to make sure your ideas work in real life, so doing a bit more research on your city-state won't hurt. Now, as for the oral presentation. . ."

"PRESENTATIONS?!" Most of the class screeched, stopping themselves quickly once they noticed the dark looks that crossed both teachers' faces.

"Yes, presentations. Did you really think the written part was all you were going to have to do. C'mon, your potential heroes attending U.A., the best hero school in the country. . . You should know better! Heroism isn't a walk in the park, and neither will this class, or any of your other classes for that matter!" Shizuna chided them as she leaned forward on the podium.

"One of the basic rules of heroism is to expect the unexpected," Aizawa added. "Consider this a crash course. . . Presentations are not the greatest thing in the world, but it will help you build up your public speaking skills, something you'll need when you're forced to talk to the media in due time."

"Besides, the presentations won't be that bad, well, as long as you put in the proper practice and effort that is," Shizuna added, smirking at the thought. "In fact, think of your presentation as friendly competition."

"Friendly competition?" Tokoyami asked, their sensei's words having piqued some of his more competitive classmates' interest. "How so?"

"The presentations will consist of 10 rounds, one for each category," Shizuna explained. "In each round, the students tasked with that category will both have two minutes to explain their assignment . . . For example, say I was the one tasked with explaining Athenian politics. I come up, speak for one minute, and when I'm done, Aizawa-sensei, who's tasked with Spartan politics, takes his turn. So on and so forth. . . Everyone good so far?"

The class immediately nodded.

"Now, here's where the 'competition' part of the presentations come in. Each presentation can earn you up to ten points each for your team. That's five from me, and five from Aizawa-sensei. We will be grading you on the info you've presented, how plausible your ideas can be in real life, and overall speaking ability . . . Like Aizawa-sensei mentioned before, a hero needs to know how to speak to the adoring public right?" Shizuna sarcastically joked as she looked around the room.

" _Considering that Aizawa-sensei is an underground hero, it makes sense that he likes to avoid the media like he's avoiding the black plague,"_ Yukino mused as she continued to watch her aunt. _"Aunt Shizuna doesn't seem to be that negative toward the media, but it's starting to get obvious that they're not her favorite people in the world either. . ."_

"Not only are you trying to get a good grade on your presentations, you also want to accumulate as many points as you can," Shizuna pointed out. "The team with the most points after all ten rounds will win a sizable advantage in the following Combat Skills class that day. . . The losing team will face punishment."

"What punishment?" Sero asked, his tone wary.

"I won't reveal that till the day of your presentations, which will be the same day your written project is due," said the woman in red, her smirk only getting bigger when she saw how nervous the students seemed to be getting . . . Her next words didn't help to alleviate their nerves one bit. "Just know that the punishment will be hell, very _painful_ hell. So, if you want to avoid it at all costs, you better bring your a-game for this project."

"Um, is there anything we should avoid doing in this project?" Midoriya shyly asks. ". . . Besides not meeting the paper length requirement?"

"Hmm, good question Midoriya. . . Let's see, what I am looking for is coherent, well-researched, and well thought out ideas that can work in the 'quirked' era, yet still trace its influence to the Athens and Sparta of the past. I want you guys to be creative, but be reasonable too," Shizuna reiterated as a thoughtful look came across her face. "As for what I don't want to see, for starters: No lazy writing! If you decide to cite from a different source, make sure you give that source the credit it deserves."

"Is it really that bad if that source isn't credited, even if we honestly forget to do it?" Ashido dared to ask, knowing it was likely a big risk she was taking. Her classmates thought it was a big risk, with many of them turning her way with faces that screamed ' _ARE YOU MAD WOMAN?!'_.

"I should have never asked that question, shouldn't I?"

Most of her classmates immediately shook their heads in the affirmative. When she dared to look their senseis' way, she turned away as soon as she saw both of their red eyes glaring her way . . . Talk about a double whammy.

"Let's get this one thing straight everyone! Using a source, especially word for word, without giving the original creator the proper credit happens to be a big pet peeve of mine and any teacher that gives a damn about their job. If you don't want to get on my bad side, I suggest you never do it," Shizuna explained, her dark tone brokering no room for argument as she locked eyes with each and every student.

"Also, if you don't give the proper credit, then by default, you just stole someone's intellectual property, and that is plagiarism. It's technically not an official criminal act in our country's legal system, but it does open you to some legal issues."

"Especially if the original creator is alive, finds out about what you did, and is really angry about it," Aizawa added. "Trust me, you do not want that kind of backlash, especially at such a young age."

"Legal backlash?" Tsuyu asked.

"People can try to sue anybody for anything these days. If you end up on the losing end of a case, you'll have to pay compensation or punitive damages, not to mention all the legal fees you'll have to pay your lawyer. . . It's a tough way to go bankrupt, and your life pretty much comes to a screeching halt because of it," Aizawa added, internally smirking when he realized that his words were having the desired effect on the students. "Trust me, getting sued is something you want to avoid at all costs."

They were completely blank faced, but their eyes said all that he needed to see. He hadn't planned on putting the fear of plagiarism into their young hearts - even though, as a teacher, it was technically his job to do so - but Shizuna gave him one hell of an opportunity to do it, and dammit, he was going to take it and run with it all the way to the bank.

Aizawa was known as the sleepy, yet intimidating teacher in U.A for a reason after all.

He was simply adding to his profile.

"To keep things simple. Don't commit plagiarism, and you'll be fine. Can we all just agree to that and call it a day?" Shizuna asked, the harshness suddenly gone from her face.

Everyone immediately nodded, realizing that it was for the best to just do what she advised. "Good; other than that, make sure you proofread your work before giving it in. I'm sure all of you have computers with writing programs that have a spell-check feature attached to it . . . Use it. Please, just use it."

Some of the students managed to chuckle at her advice, but there was a nervous edge to their laughter, as if they had the weird feeling that Onizaki-sensei somehow knew that they didn't use that feature and was now calling them out on it by giving them such advice in the first place.

They tried to not think on that idea for long.

"So, any other questions?" Shizuna asked. When no one else said anything, the blonde moved on. "Okay, we can finally get to the teams now!"

"Are you going to let us choose our own teams?!" Kirishima asked, voicing the question that was now on many of his classmates' lips, though he was the brave one to act on it.

"In a way . . ." Shizuna speculated, moving to the next slide, which showed a 20-tile grid, each labeled with a number from one to 20. "One by one, you will pick a tile on screen. If you pick a tile with a red dot behind it, congrats, you're on Team Sparta. Pick a tile with a blue dot, and you're on Team Athens."

"Huh, you give them the choice to pick a team, without guaranteeing that they'll get the team they want," Aizawa stated as he looked at the board. ". . . Well played Onizaki."

"It was what I was going for Aizawa. I'm glad you appreciate it," Shizuna mused, nodding her head to the side in a way that the Erasure Hero couldn't help but think was cute.

He immediately shook that thought away before his face could turn beet red.

"Anyway class, at the end of the selections, if you want to switch your team, you can," The class wanted to cheer, but the look on their sensei's face told them that celebrating now would be a little too soon. "However, you will only have five seconds - and I mean _**five seconds**_ \- to find a member from the opposing team who's willing to switch with you. You can't force the person to switch; it has to be done through mutual agreement. If you can't find someone, tough luck. What you picked, is what you get."

"How is the selection going to happen Onizaki-sensei?"

"You'll be picking in reverse seat order Asui," came Shizuna's response, turning her head to the back-right corner of the room. "Yaoyorozu, since you're in Seat 20, you get the first pick."

Selections only took four whole minutes, and once the five second window was opened, only Aoyama and Kaminari managed to switch with each other, mostly thanks to how close their seats were.

In the end, Team Athens counted Yaoyorozu, Midoriya, Yukino, Todoroki, Shoji, Sato, Aoyama, Ojiro, Uraraka, and Asui as its members, while Team Sparta consisted of Daisuke, Bakugou, Tokoyami, Sero, Jirou, Koda, Kirishima, Iida, Ashido, and Kaminari.

"I expect good results from the lot of you, and to help ensure that, I will be giving you half the class period tomorrow to plan out your work and to ask any questions you may still have. But be mindful, you should be meeting up after school or in your general free time to think and plan things out as well." Shizuna advised as a knock came from the door. "Hmm, looks like this class is over. I'll see you all later for Combat Skills. The uniforms you wore for your quirk test yesterday are mandatory for that class, so make sure you're wearing them when we meet up later."

"To save yourselves some time, bring your hero costumes as well," Aizawa advised as he pointed to the wall.

The class was a bit confused as they watched as their black clad teacher walked over to the podium to take out a second remote. He pressed the lone button on it, and a quick beep alerted the students to the movement on their left. Out from the wall came a series of shelves, each holding suitcases numbered one through twenty.

"These suitcases hold your hero costumes. The numbers you see on the front correspond with your seat number. One for Seat 1, Two for Seat 2, so on and so forth," Aizawa explained as he walked over to the door. "Your Foundational Hero Studies class is right after Combat Skills and your teacher expects you all to be suited up before that class begins. Trust me, it's not worth it to go back and forth just to grab the proper clothes when you can just take it all with you in one go."

"And with that, we will see you guys later," said Shizuna as she quickly took the remote and pressed the button to re-seal the shelves. Once she had all her stuff tucked under her arm, she quickly joined Aizawa in the hallway, saying a quick hello to Ectoplasm before walking out the door.

"So, do you really think they'll do well with your little project Onizaki?" Aizawa decided to ask, tucking his hands into his pockets as the two turned the corner.

"Well, if the students can work together, come up with good ideas, and not let their egos get in the way, they should do fine . . . If not, they'll simply suffer the consequences for their actions, and I will be making sure of it," Shizuna reasoned as she took in a deep breath. "After all, it only takes one person to turn a possible smooth operation into a full-blown dictatorship."

A certain spiky, blonde-haired teen immediately came to both of their heads, but they quickly brushed those thoughts aside, hoping that possibility never comes to fruition, for both their sakes, and his teammates'.

"That does tend to happen at times . . ." Aizawa conceded, a small smirk now gracing his face. "So, what exactly is the punishment for the losing team anyway?"

"Would you consider military drills too much for fifteen-year old hero trainees to take on?"

It took Aizawa a good 15 seconds to realize that his smirk became a full-blown smile.

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

When lunch finally arrived, Class 1-A ended up splitting up into their teams, finding empty areas in different parts of the cafeteria to eat and chat, but not too far away that they couldn't actually see each other anymore.

It would soon become apparent that the two teams would have vastly different strategies from this point onward.

"Alright extras! I'm taking charge of this team!" Bakugou immediately declared, his words only working to irk half of his team as they claimed a couple of empty tables.

"Wow, we haven't even sat down yet and Bakugou is already trying to take command," Ashido mumbled as she slipped into her chair. ". . . Why am I not surprised?!"

"Hold up! Who died and made you team leader?!" Jirou asked, shaking her head as Bakugou glared her way. "I didn't agree to that, and I don't think the rest of the team did . . . Not yet anyway."

"Jirou makes a good point," Daisuke mumbled, not flinching when Bakugou turned to him. "You may want to be team leader Bakugou, but that doesn't mean the rest of us want you to be. . . For all we know, you may go full blown dictator on us, and that's never good for anyone!"

"SHUT UP CAT BOY!"

"Cat boy? _Really?_ You don't think I've heard that one before?!" The blue haired teen challenged, unimpressed by the weak insult.

Everyone went silent at that, even Bakugou, who hadn't expected such a rebuttal, and a quick one at that. "Like, c'mon man! I've heard you say better insults than that, and I've only known you for about a day and a half now!"

Bakugoudidn't immediately respond to that, either because he knew Daisuke was right, or because someone his age was actually willing to challenge his outburst so frankly.

Knowing Bakugou and his unwillingness to admit his faults, no one will never know the answer.

"Damn, I'm willing to name Daisuke team captain just for that comeback alone." said Sero, smirking at a now pissed looking Bakugou. "Anyone that can shut Bakugou up like that deserves my vote!"

"I appreciate the vote of confidence Sero, but I'm not too sure I want to take up that mantle myself," said the blue haired teen as he looked around the table, completely ignoring the withering glare that Bakugou was sending the tape wielder's way. "Do you guys really think we need a team captain?"

"If we do it by committee, I highly doubt we would get everything done," said Ashido. "I think it would be a good idea to have someone willing to take the lead on this one. He or she would, at the very least, make sure that everyone was on task."

"I agree with Ashido," said Iida, his arms flailing around robotically. "If we're going to do well on this project, it's for the best if one of us is making sure that no one is slacking on this assignment. This is a group project after all, and if one of us fails, then we all fail. . . So, to ensure that this will never happen, I am offering to put myself out there as the team captain."

"No way Four Eyes! I'm the team captain!"

"Hold up Bakugou! We never decided that," Jirou pointed out, glaring at the explosive teen. "I don't think having you as our team captain is the best idea."

"WHAT'D YOU SAY EARLOBES!?"

"You heard what I said Firecracker!" Jirou surprisingly spat out, becoming the second person to shut Bakugou up that hour.

"Firecracker . . . Good one Jirou." Kaminari snickered, though his comment was only successful in earning him Bakugou's ever-growing ire.

As Team Sparta continued to crumble into an unrestrained shouting match, Team Athens sat a few tables away watching the carnage unfold in between bites of their food. Some were in disbelief, others were indifferent, and a couple were actually in awe at what they were witnessing, but all could agree that they were quite amazed at how things broke down in the other team so quickly.

"Um, they look like they're having quite the discussion over there," Ojiro helpfully mumbled as he took a sip of his soda, watching wide eyed as Bakugou got right up in Iida's face. "Wait, can we even call what they're doing a discussion?"

"Not in the slightest," Uraraka mumbled as Kirishima pulled Bakugou back to his seat. "Okay, for the sake of the health of this partnership, can we all agree to never break down like they are doing right now?!"

"AGREED!" Came the group's unanimous reply, with some tipping their drinks in Uraraka's direction.

"Hmm, it seems that the reason they've broken down so quickly is because they can't decide on who should be the team leader," Momo pointed out as she watched the other table. "You know what? How about instead of nominating a team leader, we have two people acting as point person for our team?"

"So that not only will we have more than one person keeping everyone on task and coordinating everyone, but they can also keep each other in check?" Yukino asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly! The people we choose wouldn't have to technically oversee the entire team either. One person can oversee four people and the other can oversee the other four." Momo added, glad that someone was immediately thinking along her wavelength.

"A form of divide and conquer. . ." Yukino added, interested in the idea. "That sounds like a great idea Yaoyorozu, but who exactly would be the ones running point?"

"I think we already know the answer to that question, ribbit."

Yaoyorozu and Yukino both knew that the remark came from Tsuyu, but as they turned to face her, they saw that everyone was staring right their way, all of them with matching looks on their faces, even Shouto, though his was much more subdued than the rest

"Wait a minute! You think we should be the ones running point on this project?!" Yukino asked as she gestured between herself and Momo.

"Who else but you two!?" Uraraka happily decreed. "The whole entire thing is Yaoyorozu's idea after all, and you just proved that you could keep up with her when you immediately backed her idea with your own input . . . You definitely got my vote!"

"I think Uraraka makes a good point," Midoriya mumbled, speaking up for the first time. "If this is going to work, the two people running point should be able to bounce ideas off each other easily, and you two did exactly that just now!"

"Just to make sure though. . . Does anyone else want to put their name in for consideration?" Shoji asked, speaking from the mouth at the end of his bottom left arm.

No one spoke a word.

"Nice. . . Well, it looks like the people have spoken. Okay, I'll do it," Yaoyorozu conceded, turning to Yukino. "What about you Onizaki?"

"Hmm . . . I guess I can bite the bullet and do it, and no one else is volunteering," Yukino mused as she fiddled with her braid. "Alright, I'm in, but I don't want to see any procrastinating from the rest of you. If Yaoyorozu and I set a date that everyone should reach, you better reach it!"

"We expect nothing less from our team leaders!" Sato cried out as a big grin lined his face.

Yukino wanted to say something, but held her tongue, knowing that her buff classmate had a point. Even though they were technically going by a different name, Yaoyorozu and herself were now effectively the leaders of Team Athens.

"Ok, before we get to anything else," Yukino announced as she pulled out her phone, accessing her contacts. "I'm going to pass my phone around the table. I want you all to add your names to my contact list so I can create a group chat for us."

"Oh, do the same for me!" Yaoyorozu added as she too pulled out her phone, passing it along to her right as Yukino's phone continued going left.

As Team Athens started sharing their contact information, Team Sparta continued to disagree on who should be the team leader. At this point, most of the group wanted the role, which meant that it was less likely that any kind of agreement was going to happen soon.

Daisuke, being one of the few in the class to have overly sensitive hearing, was taking all the shouting and arguing hard. He even folded his ears into themselves to block out the noise, but it was all in vain as some of the noise still managed to leech through. After Bakugou yelled a little too close to his ear one more time, the cat teen decided that he had enough.

"Can you all just SHUT UP!"

Daisuke ended up _growling_ at the end, his sudden words quieting his table, and some of the nearby tables for that matter. It was enough to catch the attention of Team Athens, who looked on in silence as Daisuke glared at the rest of his team.

"Okay, I had a feeling that someone was going to yell that loud," Uraraka mumbled. "I didn't expect it to be your _brother_ to do itYukino."

"Yeah; he only gets like that when things start to get _really_ loud, really quickly," the white-haired teen mumbled. ". . . And here I thought he would last a little longer."

"Yeah, but then again, he's on a team with _Bakugou_ ," Todoroki was quick to point out. "If they can't come to an agreement soon, this probably won't be the only time that Daisuke's gonna yell."

"If we keep 'discussing' like this, we're not going to get anywhere!" Daisuke growled as he looked around the now silent table. "Since it's obvious that we can't pick a team leader the democratic way, I suggest a different solution."

"And what the hell could it possibly be?!" Bakugou exclaimed as Daisuke reached for the straw canister. " _Really?!_ You're going to have us draw freaking _straws_?!"

"I don't see you coming up with any other ideas!" Daisuke bit right back, challenging him to say anything. Surprisingly, Bakugou didn't say a word. "Anybody else want to pipe up with their ideas?"

"Eh, we've been arguing since we got to this table, and we haven't made a single lick of progress since," said Sero. "I think we should go with Daisuke's idea. Anyone else disagrees?"

No one did, not even Bakugou.

"Well, at least we came to an agreement on something." Daisuke mumbled as he plucked up the last five straws out from the container.

"Um, how exactly are you going to cut them up?"

"Well Kaminari, I figured I'd cut them up like this," Daisuke mused as he flexed the fingers on his right hand to turn his already sharp looking fingernails into claws that were as long as the hand they emerged from. He blindly cut them up into pieces before dumping them back into the canister, shaking them for a bit before holding it out to everyone. "Alright, who wants to pick first?"

One by one, each team member plucked a piece of straw from the canister, with Daisuke going last. After taking some time to compare straw sizes, Kirishima's straw ended up being the longest, barely beating out Bakugou's by a centimeter, much to the blonde's chagrin.

"Alright, it's official. Kirishima, you're team captain!" Iida announced, ignoring the obvious glare _someone_ was shooting the redhead's way. "What should we do first?"

"Well, we need to figure out who's going to tackle which category," Kirishima decided as he looked around the table with a toothy grin. "Alright, we need to give the categories to the people that will handle them the best. So, I want to know which categories each of you think you'll have the best chance with, and which ones will likely be weak spots . . . Who wants to go first?"

They spent the next 30 minutes going around the table discussing their options. By the time the bell rang to signal that lunch was over, some on Team Sparta got the roles they wanted, while others were still left up for debate.

"Looks like we'll have to discuss the rest of the details later," Daisuke mumbled as he got up from the table. "Time for our next class guys!"

"But I barely got to eat!" Kaminari mumbled as he started scarfing down his food.

"Well, we did spend much of our time arguing more than eating," Ashido mumbled as she finished the last of her ramen before standing up. "Well, you did at least. You're not much of a multitasker, huh Kaminari?"

"Not funny Ashido . . ."

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

Once the class grabbed their gym uniforms and their hero costumes from their homeroom, they made their way to the locker rooms, got changed, and made their way down to the school's indoor gym, which, luckily for them, wasn't that far away.

They found their teachers waiting for them by the front door. While Aizawa was still wearing his hero costume, Shizuna had changed into a form fitting black tracksuit with matching sneakers for the occasion. Her jacket was slightly unzipped, revealing the red shirt with a black gothic rose she wore underneath it.

"Hmm, I see a lot of curious faces standing before us, and I believe I know why," Shizuna mumbled as she looked down at herself. "Simply put, Combat Skills and Pragmatism is technically your official P.E. class, so, I've decided to look the part, at least for today."

"Of course, there's also Foundational Hero Studies, another phys ed-oriented class you will be taking this year. However, that class is only specific to hero schools, and not every school in this country can call itself that," Aizawa added. "You all still need to take a class that follows the general guidelines of the physical education requirements that were laid out by the government, so Combat Studies will be filling this role."

"So, if this is supposed to be P.E., and Onizaki-sensei is willing to dress the part, how come you haven't done the same thing Aizawa-sensei!?" Ashido asked, bravely looking up at the stoic raven-haired man.

"Considering what he wears for his hero costume on a daily basis, do you really think it's necessary?"

Shizuna's comment made some of the class chuckle, which wasn't something Aizawa was hoping for as he slowly turned his head to glare at the blonde. He thought about activating his quirk for effect, but pushed it out of his head, thinking it was probably something that Shizuna was expecting him to do.

He didn't want to play into such expectations, at least, not right now.

"Was that comment even necessary Onizaki?" he asked, letting a little bit of his annoyance seep through in his voice.

"What? It's not like I outright insulted you," the blonde pointed out. "My question was merely meant to point out how loose and baggy your costume is. Loose and baggy clothing is usually a good go to for people planning to exercise . . . At best, I may have given you an abstract compliment."

" _May_ have?" He asked, but he got no answer in return as she turned to face the class. "I think I'm entitled to a better explanation than that."

"Probably . . ." She conceded, sneaking one more glance his way. "Ok, first things first, before this school year started, how many of you have had some form of combat training that didn't involve the use of your quirks? I'm talking about martial arts, boxing, wrestling, anything along those lines . . . Raise your hands if you did."

Not many hands went up.

Shizuna inwardly groaned at the result, though her face remained neutral. Aizawa's reaction was relatively the same as hers, but with a raised eyebrow included.

"I see. So, judging by the results, it's safe to say that most of you have been entirely dependent on your quirks up to this point, right?"

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing . . ."

Judging from the look on their teacher's face, that was absolutely not the right thing for Kaminari to say.

Shizuna's aura reared its head once again, encompassing the class at a higher level than what they've already felt before. It was even affecting Aizawa a little, but since he had already felt it before in the past, he wasn't fazed by it that much.

"Kaminari, why did you say that?" Daisuke mumbled, squirming under the pressure. He knew his uncle Fangs could do something similar, but his aunt's aura was nothing like her brother's.

"I thought it was an innocent statement!"

"Just apologize dammit!" Bakugou yelled, shooting the electric teen a death glare for emphasis. Not wanting to earn more of the explosive teen's wrath, Kaminari immediately complied, profusely apologizing to their teacher with his head hanging low.

"Let this be a warning to you all: Be mindful of your words. After all, you never want to get the wrong person angry," Shizuna advised after pulling back her aura. "I'll be honest, for prospective heroes, I expected more from you all."

"More?" Uraraka asked, her tone slightly wary.

"Yeah; I figured that as potential heroes, you would have done some preparation on your own to prepare for such a career . . . I understand that you have to practice and strengthen your quirks so that they can be usable, but you shouldn't forget your physical bodies as well." Shizuna explained as she brought a hand to her neck.

"I understand that not all of you will be combat-focused heroes. . . Some of you may be planning to become a rescue or support hero like Thirteen, and that's fine, but did it ever occur to you that knowing some form of proper combat could be useful to you regardless of what path you choose?" Shizuna pointed out as she looked around the group, glad that she had their full attention.

"Simply put, your quirks won't help you in every situation you'll find yourself in," Aizawa added. "Sometimes you'll have to fight without them, whether it's because you overtaxed it, the villain has nullified it, or some other reason along those lines. . ."

"That is a possibility. . ." Tokoyami mumbled, but Aizawa ignored him for the sake of continuing his explanation.

"Trust me, you don't want to be known as the hero that's a one trick pony. . . You can only rely on your quirk for so much, and when you reach that critical point, that's when you really prove if you are truly a hero, or simply a liability that the villains can take advantage of."

"Today, there are too many heroes out there right now that believe that they only need their quirk to do their job. For some, that may be the case. For the rest, it's not," Shizuna added. "Knowing some other skills never hurts. In fact, it could be the key to securing your victory, buying some time for your fellow heroes, or if you just want to be cheeky, surprising your opponent with a move they didn't see coming."

The class had been leaning on every word their teachers had spoken so far, and even though most of them were watching them with faces that ranged from impassive to understanding, they couldn't help but realize that they were making numerous points that couldn't be denied.

For those that were heavily reliant on their quirks, their teachers' words served as a serious wake up call. By focusing too much on their powers, they neglected their physical skills, and if they wanted to be better heroes, they needed to really improve in that area.

For those that did have some combat training, it served as a reminder that they had been thinking correctly in terms of being a proper hero, and that they should continue with it.

"Ok, so for Combat Skill and Pragmatism, not only will you be doing the usual stuff you see in regular P.E. classes, but you will also be exploring, well, different combat skills that can help you in the future. I'm talking taekwondo, jujitsu, krav maga, Muay Thai, boxing, grappling, karate, the works. Simply put, Aizawa-sensei and I will be teaching you how to fight on a more _practical_ level," Shizuna explained. "I don't expect you all to become martial arts masters by the time the school year is up, but I do expect you to learn enough so that you won't become a detriment to others out in the field."

"There will also be certain weeks where we'll focus on specific skill sets. One week will be about strength. One will be on speed; another on stealth, so on and so forth." said Aizawa, his eyes perking up when he saw Kirishima raising his hand. "What is it Kirishima?"

"Um, I was wondering . . . Will we be using our quirks during class?"

"I was wondering when one of you would ask that fateful question," Shizuna mumbled as her now-familiar mischievous smirk appeared. "It all depends on how far we get into the curriculum."

"For now, we want you to get the fundamentals down before we move on to the more complicated stuff," Aizawa added as he looked around the class. "So, for now, we want you all to consider your quirks completely off the table."

"Off the table?" Bakugou asked, not really liking what he was hearing.

"What he means is that for most of this class, your quirks are explicitly _banned_ ," Shizuna announced, enunciating the last word to make sure that everyone got the memo "If Aizawa or I see you use your quirks in any way - whether it's on purpose, by accident, or because you want to intimidate someone into being quiet - you will be docked points on your overall grade."

"We won't hesitate to do it either," Aizawa mumbled, his stare taking on a harder edge. "We want you guys to get used to the idea of possibly ending up in situations where you won't be able to use your quirks. It will happen, you just don't know when. . . We're not just here to teach you how to use your quirks to do good. We're here to teach you how to be well-rounded heroes, ones that can fight just as well with their fists as they can fight with their quirks."

"Now then, I'm sure you still have a few questions you would like to ask us," Shizuna realized, as she gestured to the doors beside her. "But we still have an actual class to get through, so for now, into the gym everyone!"

 **A/N: Okay, so a few things.**

 **1\. I honestly hope that the canon characters end up learning more skills –** _ **like more hand-to-hand combat**_ **\- for their hero work than just learning how to strengthen, enhance, and use their quirks, but until we see that in the manga, this is my take on it.**

 **2\. Yeah, Combat Skills & Pragmatism really will be the P.E. class for the Hero course. (And I made this particular fact up on the fly). Foundational Hero Studies is the closest we see to a P.E. class in canon, and it probably is the canon P.E. class, but I wanted to give the Combat class a little more value so that the students would take it seriously . . . so, yeah, there's that.**

 **3\. I took a lot of inspiration from the classes I've been in over the years for this chapter, mainly the first introductory class, especially when it comes to plagiarism. Teachers really hammer that point in on the first day.**

 **4\. I honestly believe if the Combat class existed in canon, Aizawa would teach it, and he would include the Quirk ban . . . I just feel like he would be the kind of guy to institute it since he uses hand-to-hand** **combat** **to supplement his quirk** **a lot in canon** **.**

 **5\. As for the teams for the project, I really did want to keep most of the Baku-squad in one group and the Deku-squad in the other. The rest are who I believe would be in said squad if the whole class was fully split along those lines. . . . BNHA: C** **ivil War anyone?**

 **6\. I wanted to add more, but then the chapter would have gotten too long. Next chapter will be the Combat class and the start of the battle trials, and you know what that means everyone** **?!**

 **COSTUMES! And action of course, but mainly COSTUMES!**

 **This has been SandsnakeQueen, signing out!**


	11. The Pacer Test

Chapter 10: The Pacer Test

U.A. was known for not pulling any punches when it came to the facilities it provided its teachers, students, and staff. For a _government-funded_ school that could afford to have a full-scale replica of an _entire city_ built on its premises, the gym was practically child's play.

When Class 1-A followed their teachers into the room, their eyes widened in shock at how cavernous it was. Larger than most standard school gyms, it was filled with the usual amenities that were typical of such a room. While the main aspect of the gym was the basketball court and the sets of bleachers spaced throughout, what also made the gym notable was the circular pathway that served as the school's indoor track standing above them, accessible only by a stairwell in the hallway.

Also notable were the other doors strewn across the room. Some of them belonged to the storage rooms, where all the quality gym equipment was stored away. Others led to the emergency exits, and one led to a personal office that belonged to another one of the school's usual gym teachers.

"Wow! This place is huge!" Uraraka cried out, being one of the many who were awestruck by the sheer side of the room. "This is probably the biggest school gym I will ever step into!"

"I'll say," Kaminari agreed, shaking his head. "It makes my last school look small in comparison."

"Um, Kaminari, don't you mean your _last school's gym_ looks small in comparison, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked, bringing a finger to her lips.

"No, I really mean my _last school,_ " Kaminari reiterated, his head turning to see the disbelieving looks surrounding him at all sides. "I'm being serious here."

"Yeah, sorry. Even when you're serious, I still can't believe you." Jirou deadpanned, her reaction almost single handedly making the electric teen facepalm to the floor. Shizuna and Aizawa, who were listening in to the entire exchange, remained silent as they led the students to the middle of the court. When they came to a stop, the Katana Wielder had a small grin on her face, eager to get to what she had planned for them.

Aizawa simply watched on with muted silence, his expression half hidden by his combat scarf.

"Alrighty then, welcome to gym Class 1-A . . . This will not be the only place we will be conducting our class. It just happens to be the biggest." She calmly explained as she gestured around the room.

"The biggest?" Uraraka asked, partly unsure and partly curious by the woman's implication.

"Simply put, the room we're currently standing in is the biggest part of the school's fitness wing. This gym is shared by all the departments in this building - General Studies, Support, all of them," Shizuna explained, her voice carrying a slight echo thanks to how large the room was. "Since physical fitness is such an important part of a hero's career - unless you have a quirk that makes that point completely impossible or moot somehow - U.A has decided to spare no expense in providing the most top-notch and necessary amenities to ensure that you all are at your physical best by the time you graduate."

"Sweet!" Kirishima, a notable fitness fanatic and fan of all things manly, cried out, eager to hear more. He was a little too loud, and when he opened his eyes, everyone's eyes were squarely on him. "Oh, sorry . . ."

"Apology accepted Kirishima . . . Anyway, besides this gym, you've already been to the fitness yard outside thanks to Aizawa's test yesterday. The swimming pool is also out there." Shizuna continued, noticing how eager most of the faces began to look as soon as she said, _'swimming pool_ '.

" _So eager . . ._ _Looks like I got to burst their bubble,"_ she thought as she looked around the group. "Judging from your faces, I have a good feeling that I know what some of you guys want to ask me next. Sorry to disappoint you all, but no, we will not have a class at the pool this year. However, if you do want access to that area, you'll need to ask Aizawa-sensei for that."

"Is Aizawa-sensei the only person we must ask, or are we able to ask someone else?" Sero asked, flinching when he saw his homeroom teacher's gaze squarely on him. "I don't mean to be rude sensei! I was only asking in case you weren't available to be asked in the first place."

"Hm, he does make a fair point Aizawa," Shizuna mumbled, coming to the boy's defense before the dark-haired man could say anything. ". . . It's quite rational if you ask me."

"I feel like you're using my words against me," he grumbled, narrowing his eyes at the woman.

"You're the one that likes to preach about rationality and being logical after all," she said back in kind, turning to face him with a smirk on her face. ". . . It was only a matter of time before what you said would get used against you. Don't you think?"

Aizawa remained silent, choosing to turn his head to face the students once again. In his head though, he couldn't help but be both annoyed and impressed by how willingly she would challenge him, especially in front of the class. No other teacher was willing to do that, mostly because they didn't want to earn the tired man's notable ire. But here was Shizuna Onizaki, one of the newest teachers on the block, again challenging him, and looking like she enjoyed it too.

It was in that moment that the Erasure Hero realized that either Shizuna was willing to go to places others wouldn't bother venturing to, or she had no shame.

Aizawa wasn't sure which one he liked more.

"Okay, while your homeroom teacher gets his thoughts in order, I'll answer Sero's question," Shizuna explained as she faced the class. "To ensure that the pool isn't misused, if you want access to it, you need to ask your homeroom teacher, and only your homeroom teacher. . . I know it's a strict rule, but it's a necessary one after it was confirmed that the pool was being used more for parties and practical jokes rather than actual lessons."

"If you do want access to the pool, I will only allow it for two reasons," Aizawa announced, choosing now to come back into the conversation. "If you need to freshen up your swimming skills, you can ask for access. If I come by the pool and see that you're not practicing, consider any future trips to the pool off the table."

"And the second reason?" Tokoyami dared to ask.

"Quirk training. Well, depending on the quirk you have of course. . . It's easy to see those of you with aquatic-based quirks asking for permission to use the pool. The rest of you, not so much," Aizawa mumbled as he thought it over. "Simply put, don't ask me for pool access unless you have a very valid reason for it. Am I clear?"

"YES SENSEI!" the class chanted, some eager to not get on his bad side, others just eager to get the class moving along.

"Anyway, there's also a full-scale weight room for strength and conditioning, an agility room to work on balance, and then there's the dojo. . . I believe the last one is quite self-explanatory," Shizuna further explained, the latter getting everyone's attention immediately. Bakugou and Kirishima even had matching smiles on their faces, while Ojiro face held a bit of a smirk. "The dojo will be where most of our _combat-oriented_ classes will happen. That's also where my private office is located, so if you want to come to me for advice or ask me something outside of class, but you can't find me in the staff room, you'll find me there."

"When do we get to see the dojo?" Sato immediately asked, raising his hand.

"Tomorrow. For today, we're staying right here," she answered. "Now then, line up along the length of the gym, behind the white line!"

"Give yourselves a decent berth from your nearest neighbors, four feet at best," Aizawa added. "We're trying to get this done quickly, so get moving!"

The class quickly did what they were told, with some moving to get a good spot along the line while others held back, willing to claim whatever spots were left over. As this was going on, the two teachers made their way over to one of the bleachers, where a set of speakers and a clipboard awaited them. After taking the objects to the top row and taking a seat, the two looked up to see twenty sets of eyes staring back at them, some more ready than others.

"Okay, to see what _I'm_ exactly working with this year, I will be testing you on your physical attributes," the blonde explained as she looked down the line. "This first test is all about your leg stamina."

"You guys will be doing a pacer test, which means we do not want to see how _fast_ you can run. We want to see how _long_ you can run, so if you're naturally a sprinter, I suggest you rethink your running strategy before we begin." Aizawa mumbled as he narrowed his eyes at the group.

"I know that for some of you, your immediate reaction after hearing Aizawa-sensei's words is to turn to Iida because sprinting is practically the _basis_ of his quirk, but please, don't do that . . . That would be too predictable, even for you guys." Shizuna quickly advised, spooking some back into focus before they could even turn their heads.

As for Iida himself, he simply nodded his head at the teacher in gratitude once he noticed the startled looks on some of his fellow classmates' faces. He never realized that so many of them shared the same idea, but then again, considering his family's legacy, he should have expected this kind of reaction.

"Yukino was right. Onizaki-sensei's intuitiveness is terrifying." Ashido mumbled, her voice carrying much further in the cavernous room than she originally thought.

"My intuitiveness is terrifying. Is that right Ashido . . ?" Shizuna asked, having easily heard her words. It also didn't help that the pink-skinned teen's case that her spot was directly in front of the set of bleachers that the teachers were sitting on.

"Well, they're your niece's words, not mine." said the pink-skinned teen as the attention moved down the row to Yukino, who was standing between Todoroki and Jirou.

"Yeah, I'll admit it. I said that, pretty much word for word." Yukino admitted, stretching out her legs. She didn't bother to elaborate any further than that.

"Hm, my niece knows me well . . ." was all Shizuna would say on the matter before looking down at her clipboard, narrowly missing the small smirk that appeared on her relative's face in the process. "Ok, back to the main point of this class. You all will be running laps, going back and forth between the white lines you're currently standing behind and the corresponding one on the other side of the room. Each time you cross the line counts as one lap."

"The speakers will provide the count. Every time you hear a _blip_ sound, that is the signal to start your next lap," Aizawa added as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "If you don't cross the white line before the _blip_ , your test is done. Also, if you leave before you hear the next _blip_ , your test is done."

"The count will start slow, but it will get progressively faster as time goes on. As the name of the test suggests, _pacing_ is key, so don't try to go all out from the start. You'll just tire yourselves out if you do," Shizuna advised as she noticed a hand go up on her left. "Yes Uraraka?"

"What if we can't go any further?" she asked, voicing a question that many were curious about.

"Once you're ready to call it a day, finish the lap you're currently on and sit on the bleachers . . . Any other questions?"

"How long is the count?!" Jirou decided to ask, beating Kirishima to the punch.

"It goes up to 100, so if any of you manage to make it to the end, that's the last number you will reach," came Shizuna's reply as she took out her phone. "The test ends when either the last person standing is done or the count has reached its conclusion. Get ready!"

With a quick thumb tap, the speakers blared to life, reiterating the instructions to the students before prompting them into position. Once they heard the word 'Start', they were off to the races.

From their perch at the top of the bleachers, Aizawa and Shizuna watched as the students got through the first twenty laps unscathed, save for some heavy breathing here and there. Shizuna smirked at their progress, but Aizawa's face remained blank, not giving a single hint to what he was thinking.

"So far, so good." Shizuna noted as the class completed lap 25.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that Onizaki," Aizawa mumbled, trying to get comfortable on the hard metal seat. "Some of them already look tired. It won't be long before we see our first quitter."

"And just as you say that, someone calls it quits," Shizuna mumbled, her response making Aizawa smirk as they watched Aoyama slowly move to the bleachers. He had just finished lap 27 and looked visibly distressed. "Are you ok Aoyama?"

"I'm fine Mademoiselle Onizaki!" he called out; his accent thick as he winced through his pain. "I just have a bit of a stomach cramp. That's all."

"Are you sure? If you need to go to Recovery Girl, you have my permission to leave."

"No, I'll be okay. I'm used to this. . . It tends to happen whenever I run for a long time or when I overuse my quirk. I just need to lay down, that's all."

"Still, if you don't feel any better, you are still free to go to Recovery Girl," she reminded him. Aoyama nodded, moving to lie down on the bleachers' bottom level. "Sheesh, poor kid . . ."

"Well, like he said, he's been through this before. Also, it doesn't help that this class is happening right after lunch." Aizawa further added, his words slightly dampening the blonde's mood.

"Hey! I didn't make the schedule. Blame Nedzu, not me," Shizuna defensively mumbled as she wrote down Aoyama's result. "Anyway, we've both read his file and we both have seen his quirk in action. It's quite a powerful one. It's just happens to be hindered by a birth defect, thus the need for him to wear that belt of his to use his quirk properly . . . There are quirks that can get better with practice, and then there are quirks hindered by something out of the person's control. Aoyama just happens to be an example of the latter."

"True, but that doesn't mean his quirk can't get better with practice either," Aizawa countered as Jirou finished after lap 34. "He just has an extra challenge that he has to overcome if he wants to be a successful hero."

"Hm, fair point . . ." Shizuna conceded as she wrote down Jirou's result. Tsuyu was the next to stop, ending her run after lap 36. Yaoyorozu joined them on the bench after lap 39 and Koda and Tokoyami ended up tying, both coming out after lap 42. Uraraka was out next, finishing after lap 45, and Sato was done after lap 49.

"Hmm, eight down, twelve more to go," Aizawa mumbled as the rest of the class continued into the fifties. When he turned his head, he watched as Shizuna wrote a note next to Sato's name, the latest of a long line of them. "What's with the notes?"

"They're observations I've made, that's all," she mumbled as she watched the twelve remaining students run. "I had a feeling that some would bail out early while others would last longer. I just didn't think I would be so on the nose with my choices."

"Were they merely guesses, or did you have some prior knowledge that helped you with your guesses?" Aizawa asked, a smirk hidden underneath the scarf.

"Well, once you read about their quirks and see them in action, it makes sense to come to certain conclusions," she admitted as she looked down at her paper. "Take Tokoyami for example. Thanks to what we saw of Dark Shadow yesterday, Tokoyami practically doesn't have to lift a finger in battle. He can let the sentient being in his body do all the heavy lifting while he relays orders. The drawback is that if someone manages to incapacitate Dark Shadow or get in close enough when Shadow is too far away to properly react. . ."

". . . Tokoyami would be a sitting duck," Aizawa mumbled as the two looked down at the bird-headed student, who was sitting off to the side watching the proceedings with his arms crossed. "His over-reliance could spell his downfall, especially if he ends up facing a villain whose quirk is the perfect opposite to Dark Shadow."

"And that's why I am here: To teach these kids that they don't have to rely on their quirks all the time in their hero work." Shizuna confidently stated as she watched him from the corner of her eye.

"Hey! What about me?!" Aizawa grumbled. "I'm helping you teach that class, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are, and again, I must thank you for volunteering yourself for such an endeavor . . . If it helps, I must admit. You're actually quite a shining example of a hero who perfectly blends his quirk with his skills in hand-to-hand combat. An example more heroes should look to."

"Thanks, I guess," Shouta mumbled, not realizing what she just said until he took a moment to think it over. "Wait a second. Did you just compliment me?!"

"Um, yeah, I did," she mumbled, a little caught off guard by the man's question as she faced him. "That was what I intended when I said what I said . . . Hm, you're not used to getting complimented, are you?"

"No, not in the slightest," Aizawa mumbled, tucking his chin into his scarf. "As Hizashi likes to say: I'm so bad at taking compliments, you'd think I was allergic to them."

"Maybe you're so bad at taking compliments because you've never heard enough of them," she suggests, smirking as Aizawa stared at her with disbelieving eyes, his flustered appearance now much more apparent as he scrambled to react. ". . . Oh my goodness Shouta. You can't be serious?! Are you really that bad taking a compliment?!"

"Can we just get back to watching the class run please!?" He asks, both embarrassed and irritated by the route their conversation just took. Shizuna conceded to his request, turning back to face the class with a big grin on her face. "Oh, by the way. Don't you dare tell Nemuri or Hizashi about this!"

"Now why would I do such a thing?" she teased, her grin almost cat-like as the class progressed into the 60s. "I do plan to keep this little tidbit between the two of us, but you have to admit, your flustered appearance alone is enough teasing fodder to last me _days_."

"You say that, but you know you won't keep to it. You weren't much for long-term teasing when we were still students. I highly doubt that part of you changed over the years," Aizawa argued, shaking his head. "Mic and Midnight are a whole other story. If they ever find out about this, they will tease me about this until I'm in the grave."

"In the grave?" Shizuna mumbled, a little startled by the revelation. "I always figured you favored cremation for when you died."

"The hell?! Why'd you figured that!?"

"Well, you are a practical, logical man who's likely not one for excessive celebrations or nonsensical frills," she admitted as she noticed that some of the running students were starting to look out of breath. "I figured you were more into the idea of burning your body and putting your ashes into a compact urn that could be left on a shelf somewhere instead of having people come to a costly funeral to remember you and then bury you six feet under. Granted, you would already be dead, so you wouldn't know what truly will happen to your body, but still . . ."

"Ok, fair conclusion. I'll give you that," the Erasure Hero conceded. ". . . Hm, now that I think about it. Can you do me a favor?"

"And what favor would that be?" Shizuna asked as she wrote down Shoji and Ashido's results. The mask-wearing teen didn't look too worse for wear, but Ashido immediately collapsed onto the bleachers, breathing heavily as she tried to catch a proper breath.

"When I eventually write out what I want done to my body once I die, make sure those instructions are followed to the letter. . . I know Mic will definitely keep to what I'd say, but Midnight is a wildcard, and she can easily influence Mic to do something different if she puts her mind to it."

"Don't worry Shouta," she assured him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Unfortunately for Aizawa, he was suddenly hyper aware of the contact, and barely succeeded in hiding his reaction from the woman. "I'll make sure your wishes are followed to the letter . . . You can count on me, though I'm sure Mic will be a little disappointed in you when he finds out that you wouldn't trust him with such an important request. He is your _closest friend_ after all, and I'd be disappointed in you if I was in his boots."

"That's true . . . Wait a minute. Are you guilt tripping me?!"

"Is it working?"

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

"I'm tired!" Kaminari practically whined as he called it a day after lap 71, shocking even himself for making it that far. "Wow that was tiring!"

"I'll say," Sero grumbled, having finished his run at the same time Kaminari did. "I can barely feel my legs, and we still have Foundational Hero Studies after this!"

"Oh crap! I completely forgot about that. I was too focused on not collapsing on my face to remember," Kaminari groaned as he dropped himself onto the ground, missing the bleachers by inches. "How many people are still running anyway?"

"Well, there's Kirishima, Midoriya, Iida, Bakugou, Todoroki, and the twins," Yaoyorozu helpfully answered as she and Jirou watched Kaminari flop his head back. "That's all who's left."

"Seven people huh?" Sero mumbled as they continued to watch the runners go, dropping into the spot behind Ashido. "That's less than half the class . . . At least we know who the stamina freaks in the class are."

"Hey, you shouldn't forget your own success so Sero. Running 71 laps is an impressive achievement that not many could do." Yaoyorozu shot back with a helpful smile.

"At least you finished in the top half of the class," Jirou mumbled as she started twisting her left earphone jack around her fingers. "I finished second to last. 19th place is not fun."

"Hey! It's not like it's an actual competition," Uraraka added as she jumped into the conversation. ". . . But yeah, I can already picture the teachers' berating some of us for having poor stamina or something like that once this is over."

"Well, at least we know who won't get that lecture," Jirou mumbled as she looked out at the field. ". . . I still can't believe this many people are still running."

"I still can't believe one of them is a girl . . ." Kaminari mumbled, instantly earning the ire of every single girl on the bench, which was all of them sans Yukino. ". . . Was it something I said?"

"You have no idea you idiot!" Jirou griped, stabbing one of her jacks into the electric teen's side. "At least she did better than you!"

"Technically, she did better than all of us," Tsuyu, ever the practical one, announced as they watched the running group move on to the 80s. They all clapped for Midoriya, who was the next to bow out after lap 81. He took the attention in embarrassed stride, quietly waving them off as he took in a succession of deep breaths. "Are you okay Midoriya?"

"I'll be fine. My legs are burning like crazy, but I'll be fine!" the green-haired teen managed to say before collapsing into a heap near Sero's feet. "I need a break . . ."

"Not moving tends to help . . ." Uraraka kindly offered as she looked down at the teen. "And hey! At least you can say that you did better than most!"

"Way to rub it in Uraraka," Sato mumbled, more in a teasing way than out of annoyance. "So, who do you think is going to last the longest? Any takers?"

"I don't know . . . They all look like they might pull this off," Jirou mumbled as she watched on with interest. "To be honest, I didn't think Iida would make it this far. He seems like such a sprinter by nature, but he's been holding his own."

"The same could be said for Yukino. She looks fit, but she doesn't come across as the running type to me." Sero mumbled as he brought a hand to his chin. ". . . Is that a weird thing to say."

"I'm not too sure myself ribbet," Tsuyu mumbled, shaking her head. "Then again, she doesn't look like she's going to make it to the very end. She's already breathing heavy so it's only a matter of time. Her brother, on the other hand, is an entirely different story."

"I'll say!" Kaminari mumbled as he too made the connection. "Is he even breaking a sweat out there? He must be the freshest one running!"

"He looks so in his element, even more so than Iida," Ashido cried out as she watched on with a grin. "Do you think it's because he's just a natural runner, or it's a side effect of his quirk?"

"It's hard to say," Yaoyorozu mumbled, her dark eyes looking inquisitive as she watched the teen reach the line first, feet ahead of the rest of the group. "Some people tend to be natural runners, but then again, judging from his ears and his family history, it's not hard to think that he inherited a transformation quirk. . . Maybe a side effect of said quirk is that it makes him a better runner than most."

"Are we even sure his quirk is a transformation type?" Kaminari mumbled as he shook his head. "Maybe his quirk simply gives him cat ears and cat-like reflexes and that's it!"

"That is a possible answer, but we won't find out for sure until we ask either him or Yukino about it." Uraraka explained as Kirishima ended his run after lap 88. He was heaving up a storm, but still managed to smile through it. "How are you doing Kirishima?"

"I feel like I need an oxygen tank, but I think I'll be fine," he admits as he collapsed to his knees next to Midoriya. "I think I may have overdone it . . . Upper body is my strong suit, not my legs."

"So, your legs are your weak point, but you managed to leg out 88 laps?" Sero mumbled, a little jealousy hidden in his tone. "Sir, you are a beast."

"I guess you can say that . . . So, who do you think is making it till the end?" Kirishima eagerly asked as he plopped down on his butt.

"You know, Sato pretty much asked the exact same question earlier ribbet," Tsuyu mumbled as he pointed to the buff looking teen. "We were in the middle of considering the remaining options, but I think it's safe to say that Daisuke is likely the one that will last till the end. He looks the freshest by far . . ."

"I can see why you say that, but I don't think he'll be the only one," Kirishima offered. "I think Bakugou is going to finish the course with him. He may look tired as hell, but something tells me he won't stop till he hears the speaker say 100. . . I think the fact that Daisuke looks so at ease while running is motivating Bakugou to keep going."

"Or annoying him so much that he just wants to beat him at the end," Jirou mumbled as Yukino finally finished her run, stopping after lap 92. She was visibly breathing hard, sweat dripping from her forehead. ". . . Will you be alright Yukino?"

"I'll be fine. I run, don't get me wrong, but this was just the most I've ran in _weeks_ ," she mumbled as she climbed up the bleachers. "All those long-distance jogs my brother dragged me on finally paid off I guess. . ."

"Speaking of your brother, I have a quick question for you," Kaminari mumbled as she took a seat two seats up. "Are the cat ears just for show or does it hint to something more?"

"Kaminari thinks that your brother's quirk is just enhanced reflexes and cat ears," Uraraka added, smirking down at the electric teen as he started to flinch away from the stare the white-haired girl was leveling his way. "Well, is it though?"

"No, he has a transformation quirk. He just doesn't have the chance to use it often," Yukino finally admitted as both Iida and Todoroki pulled out after lap 94. Iida limped off the court, mumbling something about a cramp, while Todoroki shuffled along, managing to not look as tired as he was actually feeling as he walked over to the bleachers. "What you're looking at is just his base level. The thing is, the transformation quirk that runs in my family tends to have a mutant quality to it. . . Those that end up with the quirk tend to have characteristics at their base level that hint to what their transformation actually is."

"So, your saying that his ability to run for a really long time while barely breaking a sweat is a hint to what he can transform into?" Uraraka asked as Shouto sat down next to the violet-eyes girl.

"Something like that," she conceded. "Physical stamina has always been his strong suit . . . Him finishing all 100 laps is pretty much a given at this point."

"Yeah, but he may have some company," Todoroki reminded her as they watched the two remaining runners. "Bakugou looks determined as hell to finish this course as well."

"Well, he'll definitely be the most tired of the two."

Speaking of the two remaining runners, both boys were now just finishing lap 97. Bakugou was drenched in sweat, gritting his teeth as he continued to push through his tiredness to start lap 98. He was determined to finish the course, but he couldn't help but be quite irritated all the same, mainly because his one remaining competition was bettering him at every turn.

Not only was Daisuke always a couple feet ahead of him as they ran thanks to his taller stature and longer gait, but he wasn't sweating as much or heaving for air. He appeared much more measured and much more composed, as if running almost 100 laps was a regular occurrence. He was willing to admit that Daisuke was likely to finish in much better shape than he was, but damn it, he thought the course should have affected him more!

Eventually the speakers chimed 100 and announced the end of the test, and the class couldn't help but applaud the two course finishers as they made their way over to the bleachers. Bakugou, not one for showing weakness, managed to control his breathing as he took over an empty stretch of seating just off to the side of the main group. Daisuke, on the other hand, was much more willing to show how tired he was, taking in a few deep breaths as he slowly made his way over to sit down in front of the group.

"Dude! How are you not breathing like you need an oxygen mask?!" Sero asked, obviously impressed by Daisuke's performance. "You should be flat on the ground, gasping for air, drenched in your own sweat. Not sitting up looking as fresh as a daisy!"

"Eh, running has just been a natural thing for me, even before my quirk manifested," he breathed as he leaned back. "Ma always said that I was an active child growing up, so she made sure I put that energy to good use!"

"Like making you chase after the laser pointer to tire you out before bed?"

"I thought we agreed to never discuss that outside of the house sis!" Daisuke immediately grumbled, shooting an annoyed glance at the older twin.

"You made that agreement with Shouto, not me," she told him, jutting her thumb at the silent red and white teenager. "And chasing after the laser pointer is not something you should be ashamed of bro. You were just following your instincts, that's all."

"All animal-related quirks tend to carry that kind of drawback, especially when the quirk affects your own physiology," Shizuna mumbled, her sudden intrusion startling the students. When they looked up, their teachers were standing a couple of feet in front of them, waiting patiently for them to be aware of the two's presence. "It's at it's worse when your young, but you learn to control it as you get older."

"I'm guessing the same thing happened to you when you were younger huh Auntie?" Daisuke dared to ask.

". . . Hmm, something like that," she quietly admitted, smirking in a way that made it appear that she wasn't ashamed by some of her actions when she was younger. "Anyway, now that the test is over, Daisuke, Bakugou, congratulations on finishing the entire test. . . This test was not an easy one. I've given it in every year I've taught since my first teaching job, and including you two, only _three_ have completed the entire thing."

The announcement made Daisuke smirk, but Bakugou's scowl only deepened at the news, mainly because he was irritated to find out that _someone else_ had finished the entire test under the woman's watch prior to him and the blue-haired teen.

" _Yep, this kid really wants to be the best . . ."_ Shizuna thought as she looked away from the frowning team. "Anyway, some of you exceeded expectations, some of you did much better than expected . . ."

". . . But a bunch of you still need some work," Aizawa finished, breaking up the feel-good sentiment that Shizuna was building. "A lot of you need to work on your stamina, especially those of you that finished below 50. . . If you ever end up in a battle of attrition, the greater your stamina, the better your odds."

"Now then, for tom-

"I AM HERE!"

Shizuna closed her eyes and Aizawa grimaced as soon as they heard the familiar catchphrase, the voice making most of the class perk up in excitement and glee. They all turned their heads to see All Might stepping into the room dressed in one of his older costumes, greeting them with a big grin on his shadowed face as he approached.

"So, the rumor is true," Uraraka murmured, almost giddy with anticipation as they watched the hulking Symbol of Peace come to a stop on Aizawa's left. "All Might really is a teacher here!"

"This is going to be awesome!" Kirishima added, looking forward to what was coming next.

"Greetings everyone! It's time for your first Foundational Hero Studies class!" The smiling #1 Hero announced, practically blinding them with his pearly white smile.

"You do know we still have five more minutes with them before the class is over, right?" Aizawa asked, almost growling at the tall blonde as he snuck a look at one of the room's two clocks.

"Hmm, that should give the class enough time to change into their hero costumes though." Shizuna reluctantly admitted, offering the Symbol of Peace an unintended lifeline that he quickly took hold of.

"Indeed, it should," All Might agreed as he turned to face the class, not liking the way that Shizuna was suddenly glaring at him. "In Foundational Hero Studies, you will be going through various trials. They will mainly be mock scenarios, situations meant to mirror the kinds of things you'll experience when you're out in the real world as actual, licensed heroes. . . Your first trial will be the Trial of Battle, so get changed and meet me at Ground B. And remember, you are all heroes. . . I'll see you all at Ground B."

"You guys are dismissed!" Shizuna announced, her voice almost as sharp as a whip. Once the group was out of the room, the Katana Wielder let loose, releasing her aura and directing it on the buff blonde.

It didn't make All Might faint or pale, which shocked Aizawa a little, but it did make him faintly tremble. You had to look at him quite closely to notice that he was slightly shivering.

"Huh, All Might is barely shaking," Aizawa stated, turning to the still glaring woman. "I honestly expected him to have no reaction."

"Eh, didn't expect it either, but it was worth a shot," Shizuna admitted as she walked over to the giant, never breaking eye contact. "Toshinori, I'm sure you're very eager to teach your very first class, but it you ever come into my room and interrupt me while I'm still teaching a lesson, I will make you regret it, in more ways than one. Do I make myself clear?"

Shizuna unintentionally let her aura spike, a result of having people suddenly interrupt her class being a big pet peeve of hers, as she stared All Might down with a sharp, almost- _villainous_ look on her face. Having got the message, All Might nodded quickly, taking in a sigh of relief before hightailing out the room.

"Damn, out of all the times to not have a camera on me . . ." Aizawa grumbled as he looked at the door that the Symbol of Peace just disappeared through.

"There's always the security cameras . . ." Shizuna suggested, pointing to one in the corner of the room, which was aimed their way.

"Hmm, that'll work."

* * *

 **A/N: Finally finished with this chapter, so next chapter, I can finally start on the Battle Trial Arc.**

 **So, a few things . . .**

 **1\. With such a prestigious school like U.A., it's not hard to imagine that they have more fitness rooms than just a simple gym. . . Remember, they have a _mock city_ on their premises after all.**

 **2\. If the pacer test sounds familiar, especially to those of you who may have attended public school, yes, it's that same test I'm putting 1-A through here. . . I could never get past 30 laps myself, so it was interesting to imagine how Class 1-A would fare.**

 **3\. Yes! For a practical, logical man, I always figured Aizawa would prefer going through a straight cremation rather than a far reaching funeral when he died. Mic would try to get him to adjust his plans - Midnight would probably make him scarp it all together - but I think Aizawa wouldn't budge on this.**

 **4\. Of course, Kirishima is the one to point out how much Bakugou is determined to finish. That's just the cute bean he is!**

 **Anyway, this has been SandsnakeQueen signing out. See you at the Battle Trials.**


	12. The Battle Trials Pt 1

**A/N: I never realized how much college and a part time job could hamper a writing schedule, well, till this semester started. It took me a while to get used to it, but I think I've managed it very well. . . I think.**

 **Anyhoo, it's time for the Battle Trial Arc! It's time to get back to the action, but before we reach that point, who's ready for costumes!?**

 **I know I am!**

 **Let's see how Class 1-A preps for battle!**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

Chapter 11: The Battle Trials Pt. 1

After getting dismissed by Onizaki-sensei, most of Class 1-A made a beeline for the locker room, ready to change into their costumes and head out to their first Foundational Hero Studies class with the resident Symbol of Peace, an experience that other students would be willing to kill for if they were offered the chance.

Those that lagged behind were the ones that had ran the longest, all of them still recovering from pushing their lower halves to the absolute limit during the pacer test, especially Bakugou, who tried his damn hardest to not show his exhaustion as he moved. Eventually, they reached the locker rooms, immediately splitting off to head to their respective lockers.

Midway through changing into his hero costume, Daisuke couldn't help but look over to sneak a peek at Shouto's costume. The half-and-half teen had been quite tight-lipped on the details of his outfit, so the cat teen was quite curious as to how his outfit would turn out.

As soon as he saw it, Daisuke couldn't help but pout at how bare the costume looked.

"I know you're not one for fussy costumes Shouto," he mumbled as he fixed the buckle of his pants. "But don't you think your costume is a bit bland? Even for you?"

"I don't care that it looks bland Daisuke," Shouto was quick to say as he slipped on one of his boots. "As long as it's conducive with my ice, I'm fine with it."

"And what about your fire side?" the cat teen asked in return, raising an eyebrow. "I know you're not a fan of your fire side, but you didn't neglect to mention your pyrokinesis in your costume request form, did you? I don't know about you, but I would be embarrassed if I ended up using my fire side, only to find myself half-dressed because I burned half my costume off afterward!"

"Don't worry. I didn't forget my fire side," he mumbled, not amused by Daisuke's words. "The suit's fireproof, if that's what you were wondering. So no, you don't have to worry about me ever wearing half a suit. . . I have other plans for my fire side anyway."

"Good to know Shou. Glad we had this chat . . ." Daisuke mumbled, his eyes widening when he remembered the last part that the dual-wielding elemental said. "Wait a sec! What _other plans_ could you possibly have?!"

"You'll see."

Daisuke simply scowled at that, but didn't say anything back, figuring that Shouto would likely tell him once he was done changing into his costume.

Once he was done buttoning up his jacket, the cat teen immediately felt a chill on his left side. Turning his head, his eyes widened slightly as he watched Shouto cover his left side completely in ice, save for his hand and left foot.

It was quite a drastic action, one that not many expected. It caused quite a number of stares to come his way, with Ojiro's face practically screaming how confused he was by the entire situation.

"Uh? Don't you think you're being a little extreme here Shou?" Daisuke couldn't help but ask, ignoring the cold chill that was running up and down his arm thanks to all the ice being close to him.

"What? I'm just being careful." he admitted, finishing his work. "It's to make sure that I don't accidentally use my fire in battle."

"Considering that fire _melts_ ice, I don't see how this strategy of yours is going to work," Daisuke mumbled as he closed his locker. "Also, won't having all that ice on your body hurt your mobility?"

"Honestly, it might," Shouto conceded as he stretched out his ice-covered arm, testing it's maneuverability. ". . . I consider today a test run."

"Well, let's hope it fails then, because you look ridiculous. I don't want to be mean, but seriously, sometimes you don't make things easy," Daisuke mumbled as he watched his friend pull a glowing red object from his pocket. His scowl only deepened once he realized Shouto's intentions for the thing, shaking his head as he watched him place it right over his left eye before encasing the left half of his face in ice. "Okay, I spoke too soon. . . _Now_ , you look ridiculous!"

Shouto was about to counter when he noticed Kaminari and Kirishima walking over to them from the corner of his uncovered eye. Both were already dressed in their hero costumes, and they couldn't be more different from each other. Kaminari's outfit was a simple jacket-shirt-and-pants ensemble with small lightning details along the arms and legs, while Kirishima's made him look only half dressed. Everything below the waist was completely covered, but his entire chest, stomach, and arms were left bare. There were two gear shaped guards on his shoulders, and he wore a metallic face guard that gave him a demonic appearance, but other than that, he wore nothing else above his waist.

"I see you guys are ready to go!" said Kirishima, his face eager as Kaminari gave Shouto's costume a questionable look over.

"Looks like it to me!" added Kaminari as he turned to look at Daisuke. "Eh, nice costume Daisuke! It's definitely a lot more stylish than mine. . ."

"Um, thanks. I appreciate it . . ." the cat teen mumbled, not missing the hint of jealousy that could be heard in the electric teen's tone. Shouto hadn't given his friend's costume a good look yet, but now that he did, he couldn't help but think that Daisuke's new threads did make him look distinguished.

The centerpiece of Daisuke's hero costume was the Prussian blue tailcoat he wore, with pointed tails that ended just before the back of his knees. Silver claw marks dotted his shoulders and crossed along his back, adding a bit of wild flare to his rather sophisticated look. White pants were tucked into his calf high, open-toed sandals, and black gloves that ran gradient from black to Prussian blue covered his bare arms, ending in silver bands that hung just above his elbows. Also, underneath the outfit, he wore a sleeveless black bodysuit that fit the contours of his slim frame.

"You really put a lot of thought into your costume," Kirishima added, mildly impressed. "How exactly does it help with your quirk?"

"All of what I'm wearing - from the coat to the bodysuit underneath - are infused with some of my hair," Daisuke explained as he started plaiting his hair into a loose braid. "My quirk does not spare my clothes when I use it . . ."

". . . So, you had the costume company infuse your DNA with the fabric so that it would stay in place when you transform," Kirishima finished. ". . . Smart."

"A little redundant though . . ." Kaminari mumbled as he put a hand to his chin. "Wouldn't it be easier to just go with the bodysuit and leave it at that?"

"Well, not all of my clothes were made with the same amount of DNA. I requested that the company put most of the hair I sent in towards the bodysuit . . ."

"Oh! I think I get it!" Kirishima instantly cut in, his eyes widening in understanding. "So, if your coat and pants don't hold up in battle, you always have the bodysuit to fall back on."

"Exactly!" Daisuke conceded. As the three continued their conversation on costume details, Shouto took his chance to make his exit, walking out of the locker room without another glance. He ended up walking into Yaoyorozu, just as she was stepping out from the girls' locker room.

Though he didn't verbalize it, Shouto couldn't help but think that her costume was, well, quite _revealing_ to the naked eye. However, considering what he saw during the apprehension test and what had to happen for her quirk to work, he had to concede that the amount of skin she showed was very much necessary.

"Oh Todoroki! I see you're done changing!" she says, finally noticing him in all his costumed glory. She quickly looked him up and down, trying to figure out a nice thing to say about his look.

Though she was considered one of the smartest members of Class 1-A, in that moment, not much was coming to Momo's head.

"Your costume is certainly . . . interesting," she finally managed to say, figuring it was the most unbiased response she could give him. "Is the ice meant to keep your fire side cool so that it won't overheat?"

"Something like that . . ." Shouto slowly admitted, not really in the mood to say anything else on the subject. He was going to say something about her outfit in turn, simply out of courtesy, but stopped in his tracks when he heard Kirishima's voice from somewhere behind him.

Turning their heads, the two recommended students looked on as Kirishima, Daisuke, and Kaminari emerged from the locker room, now talking about sports. Kirishima and Daisuke both stopped as soon as they saw the two, with Kaminari soon following their lead, a slightly lecherous look crossing his face as soon as he got a good look at Yaoyorozu.

Daisuke, noticing the look on the blonde's face, immediately slapped him upside his head, not bothering to be gentle about it as a look of disapproval crossed his face. Kirishima tried his damn hardest not to laugh at Kaminari wincing in pain, but he was failing miserably.

"Must you be so obvious?!" Daisuke grumbled, not looking the least bit apologetic.

"WHAT?! I didn't say anything?!" the blonde practically screeched as he looked up at Daisuke, obviously pissed.

"You didn't have to say anything," the cat teen bluntly stated, unperturbed. "The look you were giving Yaoyorozu said it all."

"I'm sorry Kaminari, but I'm with Daisuke on this one." Kirishima added, already picking his side, much to the blonde's chagrin. "What? You didn't bother to hide it!"

"Huh, I did not expect this," Momo mumbled, watching on in mild wonder as Kaminari tried in vain to plead his case to the others. Looking from the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but notice the resigned look that dotted Shouto's face, as if he was used to seeing stuff like this. ". . . I'm guessing this has happened before Todoroki?"

"Well, when you grow up in a family of strong, quirk-using women like Daisuke has, you learn to have a very healthy respect for women." Shouto admitted as he kept his eyes on the others.

"I see . . ." she trailed off, her eyes finding their way to the cat teen. With him being thoroughly distracted, Yaoyorozu took her chance to get a better look at his costume.

She couldn't help but notice how much Daisuke's costume made him look esteemed in a composed, yet dangerous manner. His entire look was quite form-fitting, especially his upper half, which managed to showcase the definition of his lean torso and chest just a little. Momo had just reached his arms when she noticed that Daisuke's head stilled slightly.

She barely averted her gaze when Daisuke turned his head, hoping to whatever deity existed that he didn't notice her effectively checking him out while he was speaking while willing away the blush that started to form on her face.

"Uh, what's going on out here?"

Shouto had been thinking about leaving the others to their arguing when Yukino's voice hit his ears, and when he turned back around, he couldn't help but be struck by how _form-fitting_ her costume was, mostly because he wasn't used to seeing her in such formfitting stuff.

The sleeveless black bodysuit she wore covered her from the top of her neck to the tips of her toes, hugging her every curve, and the dark blue belt cinched around her waist just added more to her shape. Along with her suit and belt, Yukino wore long fingerless gloves that ran gradient from sapphire blue at the fingers to all black midway along her biceps, and knee-high combat boots with a slight heel, adding to her height. Completing the look was a sapphire blue open vest with a hood in the back that completely hid her white hair.

It was a simple, yet stylish look that didn't make her stick out like a sore thumb, making her appear mysterious without looking so outright intimidating.

"Well hello there. . !" Kaminari was quick to say as he started looking Yukino up and down. It wasn't a movement that Daisuke approved of either, especially since it was his sister that got Kaminari's attention this time around, so he slapped him upside his head, again. "STOP DOING THAT!"

"Stop giving girls those kinds of looks, and then I'll stop." Daisuke immediately bit right back as he started walking off, not giving Kaminari another look as Kirishima followed right after him. Kaminari soon followed, leaving Momo, Shouto, and Yukino to pick up the rear.

"Um, what did I miss?" Yukino couldn't help but ask as she looked between her two friends.

"Your brother got annoyed by Kaminari's, well, bothersome behavior," Momo answered as she pointed to the blue-haired teen. "First it was with me, and then it was with you just now."

"Huh, I didn't take Kaminari to be the perving type," Yukino mumbled as she pulled at her turtleneck. Much to Shouto and Momo's surprise, the fabric was stretchable enough to cover the lower part of her face, making it appear that she was wearing a ninja mask. "I always thought Kaminari as more of the "desperate to look cool to get a girl" type."

"HEY!" Kaminari screeched, turning his eyes on her. "I heard that!"

"How could you not?" Shouto asked the electric teen. "You're only a few feet ahead of us."

"Well, that is true," Kaminari quietly conceded, almost pouting in his admission. ". . . But you don't say something like what Yukino just said out loud! Especially when the subject is within _hearing distance_!"

"Because it's the truth?" Daisuke asked, his comment freezing the blonde in his tracks. ". . . Really Kaminari?"

"Am I really that transparent?" he weakly asked, turning to Kirishima as if he knew the answer.

"You do tend to make yourself a little too obvious with your intentions." Kirishima reluctantly admitted as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Damn, I really am an idiot, aren't I?"

"Now what gave you that idea?" Daisuke sarcastically mumbled, noticing the scowl that was directed his way. "Yes, that was a poor joke, but you just made it too easy."

"I'll show you easy!" Kaminari growled, immediately chasing after the cat teen. Daisuke, smirking, immediately hightailed it down the hall, soon followed by an irritated Kaminari and Kirishima, the latter a little too eager to see how the confrontation will end.

"Hm, I'll go after them . . . Someone has to make sure that they don't hurt themselves before they get to the training ground." Yaoyorozu mumbled as she jogged after them, leaving Shouto and Yukino to follow behind her at a much slower pace.

"You think Kaminari will actually catch Daisuke?" Yukino couldn't help but ask, her voice clear despite her mouth being covered.

"I highly doubt it. Speed is one of your brother's specialties after all," Shouto mumbled, sneaking a quick glance as Yukino's costumed form. "Um, by the way, cool costume. You look nice! Almost ninja like if you ask me."

"Oh . . . Thank you," Yukino admitted as she looked away, a little shocked by the sudden compliment. She still appreciated it well enough, a small smirk hidden behind her mask as she felt some heat spread along her cheeks. "That was actually what I was going for, well, without it obviously screaming 'ninja' of course."

"It suits you," Shouto added, now noticing how much Yukino was now eyeballing his look. ". . . I'm guessing you have a lot to say about my look. Trust me, your brother already beat you to it."

"Oh _really_? How so?" she challenged.

"Not only did he say that my costume was bland, but that I just made myself look even more ridiculous by encasing half of my body in ice . . . Then again, Yaoyorozu said that my costume looked interesting, so there's that."

"I see. Well . . . All I can say is that they're not entirely wrong," Yukino admitted, narrowing her eyes when Shouto leveled her with a glare. "To be honest, you kinda look a little villainous."

"Really?" he asked, not liking what he was hearing. "Do I really look like a villain to you in this outfit?"

"Well, yeah . . ." She conceded. "The red eye pretty much cements it. You look cold and unapproachable when you have half your body encased in ice, and at this point, I don't know if I should call you Shouto or Two-Faced."

"Okay, I get it! I may have to rethink some things about my costume," Shouto mumbled, sounding both annoyed and resigned to his fate. ". . . Thank you for your honest opinion Yukino."

"Eh, just trying to look out for you old friend," Yukino admitted as she patted him on his unfrozen shoulder, the gesture not unwelcome to the half-and-half teen. "Now come on! We better get moving."

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

Once Class 1-A walked through the gate that sealed Ground B from the rest of the campus, those who hadn't been to the city-themed training ground were amazed by how sprawling and detailed the entire area was. For them, it felt like they were stepping into the downtown area of a real metropolis, the one exception being that they and All Might were the only ones standing within its confines.

And speaking of All Might . . .

"Welcome to Ground Beta everyone!" the Symbol of Peace called out to the arriving class, taking a moment to look at all of their costumes as he stood next to a stack of boxes. "Hm, you all look like true heroes in the making, and it'll be great to see how well your costumes work out in today's class. Now then, I announced earlier that we will be going through the Trial of Battle today . . . When I say, "Trial of Battle", what do I mean? Any guesses?"

"We're going to fight each aren't we, ribbit?" Tsuyu managed to ask, speaking out before anyone else had the chance to.

"Pretty much young Asui, but not in the way you all are probably thinking," came All Might's calm reply. "You will certainly be fighting each other numerous times in this class before the year is over, but not in the straight up, one-to-one battles that you may expect. As I mentioned before, Foundational Hero Studies is a class that will put you all through different hero-themed tests and scenarios. Some will feature straight up mock battles, but you'll also be facing team ups and other activities that are meant to push your limits."

"The Trial of Battle is your first taste of what hero life will be like for you guys . . . Believe it or not, most crimes and villain encounters happen indoors, so today, we will be conducting hero versus villain battles inside some of these buildings," All Might continued as he gestured to the buildings behind him. "You all will be split into teams of two. Half the teams will play the role of heroes, the others villains."

"Now then, come up and pick a letter from this box!" he boisterously called out as he picked up the first in the stack. "Whoever holds the matching letter to the one you pick is officially your partner. As for who the villain and hero teams will be, I will be assigning those designations myself . . . Alright, let's get picking everyone!"

The students quickly formed a line, picking out their letters one after the other. Once everyone picked their letter, they quickly moved to find their partners, with most being happy with who they were teamed up with. Midoriya and Uraraka ended up as Team A, Todoroki and Shoji were Team B, Yaoyorozu and Daisuke were Team C, Bakugou and Iida were Team D, Aoyama and Ashido were Team E, Sato and Koda were Team F, Kaminari and Jirou were Team G, Tokoyami and Asui were Team H, Yukino and Ojiro were Team I, and Kirishima and Sero rounded out the teams as Team J.

"Now that the teams are all set, it's time I told you all the scenario you all be working with," All Might announced as he set down the now empty box. "Those of you who act as the villains will be guarding fake bombs within the building. Your job is to defend the bomb from the hero team that's coming to apprehend you. You will all be on a time limit. If the villains are able to successfully defend their weapon throughout that time limit, or are able to catch the heroes, they win. If the heroes are able to claim the weapon, or catch the villains, then they win. Everyone understand that?"

The class immediately answered with either a strong yes, or a nod of their heads.

"Good! Since some of you students may not have thought to include handcuffs or any restraining item when you ordered your costumes, you will be given capture tape to aid you in your trial. They're all in this box. Take one and pass it around," All Might added as he picked up the second box, handing it to the closest student. "Now then, for our first battle, Midoriya and Uraraka, you'll be the heroes. You'll be facing Bakugou and Iida, who will be the opposing villain team."

Uraraka and Iida immediately nodded at the result, not fazed by the fact that they were going to have to fight each other. It was Midoriya and Bakugou's reactions that were the most interesting. As soon as they heard that they were opposing each other, they immediately turned, locking eyes with no hesitation. A dangerous smirk appeared on the blonde's face, while the green-haired teen looked like he was trying his hardest not to cower at said look.

"Your battleground will be the first beige building on your right down this street," All Might announced as he pointed toward the street he was talking about. ". . . I will relay you all further instructions through the earpieces that I will provide to you. For now, Team A and Team D, after you get your earpieces, you can make your way to the building. The rest of you all will follow me."

After handing the two teams their comm links from the third and final box, All Might led the sixteen remaining students into a second building, bringing them into its basement, which, of course, wasn't just an ordinary basement.

"WOAH!" Kaminari called out as many within the crowd began to marvel at all the monitors and equipment that was strewn throughout the space. "What is this place!?"

"This, young Kaminari, is the surveillance room, well, one of them . . ."

"One of them, All Might-sensei?" Jirou asked.

"Indeed! This room just happens to be one of the few that are dotted around Ground B," the blonde strongman answered as he looked up at the main monitor. "This is where we will be watching everyone's progress during today's battle trials, so I suggest you all watch the proceedings closely. I will be asking you all questions after each battle is done."

"This should be interesting. . ." Yukino mumbled as All Might walked off to the side to relay more instructions to the two competing teams. "How crazy do you think this battle may get?"

"Sis, it's going to get crazy simply because Bakugou is in it," Daisuke mumbled as he looked up at the screen. "We all saw how he acted toward Midoriya during the Apprehension Test. . . There's some bad blood between those two."

"But don't you think it's a little one-sided though?" Jirou couldn't help but ask as she kept looking at the monitor. "Midoriya doesn't seem to hold the same kind of anger toward Bakugou that Bakugou holds toward him. . ."

"Do you think it could all be from a simple misunderstanding though?" Ashido asked, not looking too hopeful herself.

"Let's be honest here Ashido. Bakugou doesn't look like a guy who holds long-standing grudges for simple misunderstandings," Sero answered, not convinced by the idea. "I think Daisuke's on to something though. There's some history between those two. We just don't know what it is."

"And Bakugou doesn't look like the sharing type, so we'll likely never hear about it from him," Tsuyu added. "Ribbit; maybe we'll hear it from Midoriya?"

"Well, if he's willing to share that is . . ." Shoji added, speaking through the mouth he formed at the end of one of his arms. "We wouldn't be helpful if we tried to drag the story out of him!"

"That's a fair point," Kirishima mumbled, bringing a hand to his chin. "I guess we wait till Midoriya's comfortable enough to say his story then."

"And speaking of Midoriya, who do you think is going to win this first match huh?" Kaminari asked as he looked up at the screen. "My money's on Bakugou and Iida. I'm not sure about Iida, but Bakugou looks like he's willing to do anything to win this battle."

"Which could also be a bit of a problem," Yukino mumbled as she too looked up at the screens, particularly the one that displayed the one of Bakugou and Iida standing by the fake, and very large, bomb. "If Bakugou is someone that looks willing to do anything to win, then it's possible that he may do something, well, not _hero-like_ in order to get the victory."

"Plus, he's facing the team that has _Midoriya_ on it!" Sero reminded them as he pointed to the screen that displayed the green-haired teen and Uraraka. "We all saw Bakugou angrily leap for Midoriya during the Apprehension Test. Things could have gotten so much worse if it wasn't for Aizawa-sensei . . . Look, I don't want to think bad of anybody, but so far, Bakugou hasn't done much to signify that he's an overall good guy."

"Well, maybe this will be the day where he proves otherwise!" Kirishima suggested, complete with a smile on his face. Most of the class didn't look too convinced. ". . . At least keep an open mind!"

"We can at least give Bakugou that . . ." Daisuke mumbled, his expression not really matching his words. "Who knows? Maybe Bakugou really will prove us wrong."

"Only time will tell . . ." Shouto mumbled, just as All Might walked over to the group.

"I see everyone is eager to see this match get started . . . Good!" he exclaimed as he turned to the monitor, bringing a hand to his earpiece. "Teams A and D, are you ready?!"

On screen, Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida all nodded their heads as they spoke, while Bakugou chose to show his readiness with a rather malicious smile planted on his face.

"Well isn't that a reassuring smile . . ." Yukino couldn't help but mumble as the class watched as Bakugou started pacing around the room, looking ready to burst out as soon as he was given the green light.

"Excellent! You know what you have to do," All Might reminded them as he prepped the timer. "YOU MAY BEGIN!"

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, I left it on a cliffhanger, but I felt it was best to save the actual fighting for the next chapter rather than have the first battle end this one.**

 **Bear with me readers; I know what I'm doing . . . Hopefully.**

 **Also, a few things . . .**

 **\- Daisuke's hero costume is modeled after Lie Ren's outfit from RWBY season 4 and onward, just with some added alterations for his cat themed quirk. If you haven't watched RWBY before, GO WATCH IT! It's so good, and the soundtrack is amazing (and very foreshadow-y) to boot!**

 **\- So, as I may have mentioned in a previous chapter, Mineta is officially in 1-B, which means we're not going to see much of his pervy antics until the moments where 1-B crosses paths with 1-A. Due to this, Kaminari - who's pretty much Mineta's right hand man in canon when it comes to fawning over females - is pretty much going to be alone in his endeavor to get with a girl. He's not going to be as** _ **out there**_ **like Mineta, but he will have his moments, like Brock from** _ **Pokémon**_ **fame. . . And yes, just like in Pokemon, someone will come in to stop his antics right in their tracks, every time, you just won't know when.**

 **\- Yeah, I don't know about you guys, but I did not like Shouto's first hero costume when I saw it in the manga, and I was so glad when Hori changed it in later chapters! Still, I couldn't help but include how others would react to the first one in this chapter, simply because I thought that it would be a funny way to put Shouto more into focus compared to how he first got some spotlight in canon.**

 **\- Just to let you all know, I have decided to make Class 1-A a little more contemplative and insightful when it comes to each other and their actions. I think they tend to be a little too complacent with each other in canon, especially when it comes to Bakugou's behavior, so I thought it was a good idea to make them question things more rather than take things at face value.**

 **See y'all next chapter! This is SandsnakeQueen, signing out!**


	13. The Battle Trials Pt 2

**Happy New Years Eve everyone! It's the last day of the year, and the decade, so to celebrate, here's part two of the Battle Trials Arc! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12: The Battle Trials Pt. 2

" _I know this is All Might's first day teaching an actual class, but here's to hoping that nothing too chaotic happens under his watch . . . It likely will, but still. . ."_ Aizawa couldn't help but think as he looked through some of the recent reports on the online Hero Association portal.

As soon as Combat Skills was over and his class was out of their sights, Aizawa and Shizuna had went their separate ways, with Shizuna heading straight for her office, while Aizawa decided to head back to the staff room to check up on some recent hero news. When he got there, he found Mic at the station next to his, but for once, he wasn't talking up a storm with everyone within his sights. He was sound asleep, his hair all in disarray as he used his folded arms as a pillow.

" _I may be joining you in dreamland in a few minutes Mic . . ."_ he mused as he snuck a look at his blonde friend. _"It's only the same old, same old on the network so far."_

"Hmm, you haven't been very truthful with me."

Aizawa's ears perked up at the sound of the Katana Wielder's voice, noting that it didn't sound annoyed despite what the statement entailed. He looked up from his computer monitor to see Shizuna standing right next to him, a smirk lining her face. Though he didn't expect her to be standing there, he didn't mind her presence in the slightest.

Then again, considering her choice of footwear, he was quite curious to know how she managed to sneak up on him in the first place.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked, saying the first thing that came to his head.

"Long enough . . ." she said, sneaking a look at the sleeping Mic on his right before dropping herself into the empty chair on his left. ". . . Anyway, like I said before, you haven't been very truthful with me."

"And how exactly have I not been truthful with you?" Aizawa asked, not really sure where their conversation was going since she wasn't giving him much clues to work with. Plus, Shizuna didn't sound annoyed by his so called 'untruthfulness'.

In fact, she sounded quite pleased with it.

"So, I just came from the gym. . ."

"The gym? You don't have a class scheduled right now." Shouta was quick to say; his mind filtering through what he knew of everyone's class schedules, and he knew a lot.

"I don't, but Morimoto does," came Shizuna's calm reply as she leaned back in her seat. "I know he covers the gym classes for the Second Years, but he asked me to cover for him while he retrieved something from his office, and I ended up learning quite a bit during that time, particularly about you."

 _Oh crap . . ._ The Erasure Hero though, now realizing where this was going. Not wanting to give in so easily, he decided to feign ignorance. "Me huh? How so?"

"The students were quite the talkative bunch once I mentioned that I was working with the First Years," she started, her grin becoming wider as she noticed the miniscule flinch of the tired man's eyes. "They immediately asked about you - mainly on how you were doing and if you expelled any students this year - and that got me thinking . . . If you expelled the last Class 1-A, why would Class 2-A be asking so much about you? Hell, better question, why is there even a Class 2-A in the first place?"

 _Shit, her perceptiveness really is that good . . ._ Aizawa thought, knowing that he didn't have many options to go with. Shizuna didn't look like the kind of person that would be swayed by a simple lie so easily, and though he had a reputation to maintain, he wasn't sure if he wanted to lie to her in the first place.

So, he figured it was best to come clean and hope for the best.

"Okay, so my expulsion record _might_ be a little exaggerated . . ."

"A _little_ exaggerated?" she asked, her tone obvious with its amusement. "I'm sure you've expelled your fair share of students over the years, but the real number is nowhere near what's shown in the official records. . . In truth, you expel students to prove a point; to teach them a lesson!"

"And what lesson is that? Did you ever get to ask the students what it was?" he asked.

"I didn't, but I think I can wager a guess." she conceded, weaving her fingers together.

"A guess huh?" Shouta asked, leaning back in his seat now. "You know what? I can't wait to hear it. In fact, I'll pay for your next coffee run if you can get the reason right."

"Huh, I didn't take you for a betting man Shouta Aizawa."

Aizawa chose to ignore the chill that ran through his spine at the sound of his full name passing the blonde's lips. "I'm usually not, but not many venture to look into the real reasons behind some of my teaching methods like you are. As long as my style brings effective results, people choose to ignore it . . ."

". . . Even if some of your actions are a good cause for alarm, like supposedly expelling an entire class of students before the first week was up?" Shizuna asked, shaking her head when Aizawa nodded his head in agreement. "I guess what they say about teaching these days is true. As long as the numbers are there, who cares how exactly they get reached."

"There has been a stronger preference for quantity over quality in recent years. . ." Shouta grumbled.

From the moment heroism was recognized as a viable, government job, the number of heroes in the workforce has only increased over the years, never decreasing since the year of its inception. However, the quality of said heroes was a mixed bag. Though there were plenty that became heroes because they genuinely wanted to do good, others simply joined because they wanted to be a part of the fame and fortune that only few heroes truly earned or enjoyed.

It was a reality that Shouta didn't like, and he had a feeling that it was something that Shizuna didn't appreciate either.

". . . Regardless, it's a reality we have to live with. We just have to make do with what we got in life," Shouta finished, turning his gaze back on her. "Now then, I believe you owe me a guess. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"What do I have to say?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I mean what I said before, and I'll say it again. You "expel" students to teach them a lesson; most likely one that shows them that their hero careers could easily end before they even have a chance to begin."

"Is that your final answer?" Shouta asked.

"Knowing you, and what you've went through back when we were still students, it's the only one that makes sense to me. . ." Shizuna trailed off, knowing that she was wading into dangerous territory with her words of the past.

"Well, looks like I owe you coffee," Aizawa conceded, shutting down his computer. "And . . . it's okay."

"What is?"

"It's okay for you to not walk on eggshells with me, especially when it comes to Shirakumo," he admitted, figuring it was best to just get it out of the way. "You may have been in the grade above mine with Midnight, but as the class big sis, so to speak, you were part of my class just as much as Shirakumo was. You grieved as much as we did, and we were all affected by his death."

". . . Some may argue that you were the one affected by it most of all. You were there that night," she reminded him, her tone soft despite her words. "I'm sure you must hate getting this question . . . ."

"You're going to ask me how I've been holding up since that time, aren't you?" Aizawa immediately asked, his tone as blunt as her previous words.

"See, I knew you wouldn't like it."

"You're right. I don't," he said, staring her dead in the eyes. She returned it back, unflinching as she matched his gaze. Most would turn away as soon as they even tried to match Shouta's intensity, but the Erasure Hero already knew that the Katana Wielder wasn't like most people. . . And he was a little grateful for it. ". . . But I think I can make an exception."

"You don't have to you know!"

"Oh, I know, but unlike Nemu or Yamada, I know you won't repeatedly ask about it like they tend to do sometimes when it gets brought up," Aizawa admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

"Huh, I never realized how highly you thought of me . . ."

 _You have no idea . . ._ He thought, sneaking a glance at his boots before looking back up. "To tell you the truth, I know it's been over a decade since he died, but sometimes I still can't believe he's gone. I always thought that between me, Mic, and Shirakumo, he would have been the one to outlast the rest of us. And then, he was gone. Taken away far too soon. . . It's a reality that we've been made to live with."

"Have you . . . fully accepted it though?" Shizuna dared to ask, knowing her words could easily hit one of Aizawa's already frayed nerves.

"Sometimes, I think I have. Other times, I find myself wondering if I could have done something different that night," Aizawa admitted, his face looking unsure for once. "I guess that makes me a little illogical huh?"

"I don't think you wondering about the past makes you illogical," she countered. "I just think it makes you human."

"Human huh?"

"It's okay to be illogical every once in a while, you know," Shizuna quietly teased, though it was obvious from the stare Aizawa was giving her that he overheard her words. Thus, she knew she had to clarify herself. "Being logical is a good strategy to have in our line of work, but that doesn't mean it has to carry into every single thing you do in life."

"Hey! I can be illogical outside of work."

"Really? Name one time you've overreacted to something, and no, it can't be anything cat-related!"

Aizawa was about to say a response, but as soon as she said he couldn't say anything cat related, he shut himself up, knowing that he had nothing to offer back.

"Damn, you really didn't leave me with that many options." he grumbled as he looked up at the ceiling, being careful to not look directly into the fluorescent lights.

"I'm not one for making things easy on people," Shizuna admitted. ". . . As for you, my tired-eyed friend, it is okay to take a moment to be illogical with yourself. Of course, that doesn't mean you should bring that to your hero work, but still. Being emotional for a little bit won't hurt you . . . Everyone needs a good cry."

". . . Or a good nap, which I am quite in the mood for right now," Aizawa countered as he got out of his seat, pulling out his sleeping bag from under his desk as he did. "I'll be in my classroom if you need me."

"See ya . . ." the Katana Wielder mumbled as she watched him go. Once he was out of her sights, Shizuna got up from her seat and walked over to the small kitchen area to get a small snack.

It didn't take her long to realize that a certain sleepy hero was no longer asleep like she first thought.

"It's not like you to be so silent Yamada," said the woman as she came face-to-face with her fellow blonde. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Hmm, that happens to be one of Shouta's favorite phrases," the Voice Hero mused as he watched her read the back of ta box of popcorn packets, most likely checking the expiration date. "For obvious reasons of course!"

"Of course," said Shizuna, as she opened the box. "However, I don't think cat themed phrases was what you wanted to talk about. So, what's on your mind?"

"Well, I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely asleep during your conversation with Aizawa."

"How much did you hear?" she asked as she opened the box and plucked out a packet.

"Practically all of it," Mic admitted, grimacing when he felt Shizuna's dark aura creeping up his spine. "Look! I didn't mean to, but then you got into how he 'expelled' students to teach them a lesson, and then the conversation got into Shirakumo . . . At that point, there was no turning back!"

"You do know that if Aizawa ever finds out that you eavesdropped on our conversation, he's going to kick your ass, right?"

"Considering all that I heard, I'm willing to take that beating."

"Oh _really_?" Shizuna challenged as she walked over to the microwave. "How come?"

"Shouta has always been a logical person, which makes it hard to talk to him on an emotional level. It's always been hard to get him to open up, and it only got worse when Shirakumo died," he calmly explained. "If you hadn't noticed, Aizawa has a bit of a 'lone wolf' mentality when it comes to his hero work. Well, he'll work with others if he's called in to assist, but for the most part, he works alone."

"That definitely sounds like Aizawa . . ." she mumbled. "If I remember correctly, you, him, and Shirakumo had planned to work together as heroes once you all graduated. Open up your own agency, stuff like that. . ."

"Yeah, as you can probably tell, the hero agency dream didn't happen," Mic admitted, almost looking embarrassed at his admission. "I was still all for opening that agency. You know, to honor Shirakumo's memory, but I didn't bother to bring it up to Aizawa . . . He shows a brave face, and we were all affected by Shirakumo's sudden death, but Aizawa was affected by it most of all, and I didn't want to bring anything up that could cause him to react badly . . . Does that make me a bad friend?"

"No; that makes you a friend that is concerned with his other friend's feelings, no matter how much the other friend tries to hide them or hold them back," Shizuna admitted as she put her popcorn into the microwave and turned on the machine. "Also, you didn't answer my original question. Why would you be okay if Aizawa decided to kick your ass for eavesdropping on our conversation?"

"Because I heard him open up to someone with barely a struggle for once since I've known him," Mic blatantly admitted, a grin spreading across his face. "Do you know how hard it is to get him to talk about difficult topics like Shirakumo. It's like trying to pry a nail out of steel with your bare hands! But you? You got him to open up like you were opening a simple gate. . . Granted, he wasn't a complete emotional mess, but the way you two interacted just now? It's a start. . . You're good for him Shizuna."

"Good for him?!" Shizuna asked, Mic looking a little pleased with himself that he got the sword wielder a little off kilter. "What do you mean by that?!"

"Oh nothing . . ." he almost sang as he started walking away. "Just that your good for him. I'll see you later!"

"HEY MIC!"

"Yeah!" he called back, his tone now a little shaky. Mic knew he took a risk by saying that Shizuna was good for Aizawa - an idea that originally came from Midnight as a way to gauge Onizaki's feelings for his best friend; a goal he felt like he _achieved_ mightily, might he add - but he felt it was a risk worth taking.

Now he was just hoping he wasn't going to pay dearly for it.

"How are _you_ holding up?" Shizuna asked, just as the microwave _dinged_ its completion. "You know, with Shirakumo?"

"Well, I'll be honest. I've managed to accept it, but I'm not fully over it," he said as he started walking away. ". . . And I don't think I ever will."

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

"Okay, this battle has really gotten off kilter," Sero said in slight awe, his gaze matching most of his classmates as they continued to watch the events unfolded on screen.

Ever since All Might gave the green light for the match to begin, everyone knew that this first match would not be a normal battle as soon as Bakugou left Iida to essentially guard the bomb alone. It wasn't long before the explosive teen found his target, aiming for Midoriya from the get-go once he found him and Uraraka in one of the hallways on the lower floors.

Having seemingly expected Bakugou to target him from the start, Midoriya sent Uraraka on ahead of him, and though she was a little unsure of leaving the green-haired teen behind, she eventually relented once he got his plan across to her, a plan the rest of the class weren't privy to due to the speakers going down. Since their separation, it had been a one-on-one battle between the two classmates, though it had been fairly one sided in Bakugou's favor due to his explosive power.

"Sheesh, Bakugou must really have it out for Midoriya," Ashido mumbled, looking wary as she watched the blonde try for another swipe at the freckled teen, grunting in anger when his foe managed to dodge the hit. "He didn't even bother to go after Uraraka! And he watched her go!"

"He definitely is one angry guy," Kaminari mumbled, trying not to wince with Midoriya as Bakugou caught him with a punch to the back. "I'm just glad I was not picked to go up against him."

"I'm sure you would have been just fine Kaminari," Yukino mumbled as she looked at the electric teen. "But Bakugou, it's obvious that his attention is squarely on Midoriya. . . Nothing else matters, as if he hates him so much that he has to stop him."

"Well that's putting it lightly," Daisuke added, grimacing as Midoriya cried out in pain after being smacked squarely in his elbow. "Ah, that's gonna leave a bruise!"

"What I don't get is why hasn't Midoriya used his quirk yet?" Jirou mumbled as she brought a finger to her face. "We've seen how strong it can be with just a _pitch_ alone. One punch is all he needs to stop Bakugou in his tracks."

"Maybe he doesn't want to risk dealing too much damage than what's necessary," Tsuyu suggested. "Remember, Midoriya still doesn't seem to have enough control of his quirk, so maybe he doesn't want to risk severely hurting Bakugou."

"Fair point, but that only means that Midoriya is now left in the weaker position in this fight." Momo was quick to point out as they watched Midoriya get tossed to the ground like a ragdoll. It didn't take him long to get back on his feet, his arms raised right in front of him as a sign that he wasn't done fighting just yet.

"Got to admire his fighting spirit though. Now that's manly!" Kirishima exclaimed as they watched Bakugou's face go through a range of emotions, settling on absolute fury as he raised up one of his arms, his hand going straight for the firing pin. "Um, what's Bakugou doing?"

"He plans to detonate the grenade on his arm."

Everyone's heads turned straight to the Symbol of Peace, who had been actively working to get the volume back on since it got disrupted by Bakugou's first explosive volley.

"He plans to detonate that huge thing!?" Sero cried out as he pointed to the screen. "I thought it was just for decoration!"

"Remember this Young Sero: When it comes to costumes, both hero and villain, not everything that you see is just for decoration," All Might advised as he continued to fiddle with the buttons. "Apparently, those grenade gauntlets of his collect the sweat he accumulates over time, so the bigger the amount he sweats and collects . . ."

". . . The stronger the explosion!" Momo concluded, quickly realizing what was likely about to happen.

"Crap! If Bakugou continues on like this, it won't end well for Midoriya!" Jirou cried out as Bakugou now held the pin, ready to pull it loose. "Probably Iida and Uraraka too!"

"Is this really being allowed to continue?" Sato asked, looking disgruntled. "We may be witnessing a potential murder here."

"Murder may be too strong of a word to use Sato," Tsuyu admonished, yet still worried over what would come next. "But this is definitely going to be bad if this continues."

"Young Bakugou!" All Might cried into the mic, trying to get the blonde's attention. "You're going too far! What you are planning is both reckless and dangerous! Do not pull that pin! You can possibly kill Midoriya with that move!"

The static that had been coming through the speakers since the first explosion finally cleared away, allowing for All Might and the rest of the class to better hear what was going on during the battle.

"Don't worry! It won't hurt him as he long as he dodges!"

If they had any hope that Bakugou would stop with his crazy idea, that line ended it.

Before any of them could say anything else, the explosive teen pulled the pin, launching a seismic explosion that barreled down the hallway they were standing in. It effectively blocked Midoriya from the camera's view, exploding through the wall and into the outside air.

"HOLY CRAP!" Kirishima and Kaminari chorused as a mixture of smoke and dust continued to blanket the screen.

"Is Midoriya okay?!" Jirou called out, looking for any sign of life to appear on screen.

"We'll have to wait until the dust settles to see," Yukino grumbled, not liking being kept in the dark. ". . . Shouldn't be long now, right?"

"Hey! Something's moving on screen!"

Ojiro's yell instantly got everyone's attention, their eyes now locked on the monitor as the dust cloud started clearing away. To everyone's relief, Midoriya was relatively okay, though he was heavily singed on one side thanks to the blast. Bakugou, now noticing this as well, could only look on in outright disbelief as his hands fell to his sides.

"Bakugou is absolutely shook!" Daisuke mumbled, watching as the blonde on screen shook his head.

"You would be too if your likely ace-in-the-hole ended up not working on your opponent like you wanted it to," Shouto countered, moving his gaze to Midoriya. "Still, the blast did a lot of damage on him. It's a miracle that he's still standing."

"Young Bakugou! What you pulled off just now was not wise, not in the slightest!" All Might decreed, sounding justifiably disappointed with the blonde. "If you release one more explosion of that magnitude, then I will have no choice but to call this match in favor of Uraraka and Midoriya."

"Wait, so he's not ending the battle?!" Sato asked, a little baffled by the Symbol of Peace's decision. "Wasn't that last explosion enough?!"

"It would be for a lot of people," Jirou mumbled. ". . . But I guess it wasn't enough for All Might-sensei. Still, it's probably for the best that he gets Recovery Girl on standby. Midoriya's certainly going to need her help after this."

"Well, I can't help but think that he would be better off if he used his quirk a little bit more, even if he doesn't have the best control over it . . . Things would certainly be a little more evened out," Yukino pointed out, her white brows knitted together in deep thought. "Now that I think about it, it kinda looks like Bakugou's attacking Midoriya to _force_ him to use his quirk."

"Usually threatening one's life would do the trick," Daisuke concurred, his head leaning to the side. "Huh, looks like they're going to use just their fists now."

"But how is that going to help?!" Kaminari argued. "Bakugou doesn't really need to use his explosions anymore. With Midoriya looking half out of it already, all he really needs to do is whack him over the head with one of his gauntlets and he should be good to go."

"Even if he did take Midoriya out of the battle, there still is Uraraka to deal with," Tokoyami pointed out as the two boys exchanged punches on screen. "She should be close to the bomb right now correct?"

"She's in the room right now!" said Ashido, pointing to one of the monitors that displayed the bomb's location. While Iida was still standing guard in front of the thing, Uraraka hid behind one of the pillars close to the doorway. "Um, is it just me, or is the room a lot cleaner than how I first remember it?"

"Iida must have cleaned out all the loose debris before Uraraka could get there," Momo concluded, taking no time at all to figure things out. "It's a smart move on his part. If Uraraka doesn't have anything tangible to float, you've effectively negated her quirk."

"She can still use it on herself, ribbit," Tsuyu was quick to point out. "Though I'm not sure how she'll use it though."

"Does she even have a plan?" Kirishima asked, just as Midoriya and Bakugou started charging at each other, fists raised to strike.

"Ask us again in a minute . . . Things are about to get interesting."

Everyone's attention was back on the main screen, where Bakugou and Midoriya readied their quirks to face each other for one more strike. They reached each other at the same time, and while Bakugou managed to nail Midoriya with another explosion, Midoriya - who looked poised to punch the explosive teen straight in the face - punched upward at the last minute, sending his attack toward the ceiling. The power of his attack sent the resulting debris all the way up to the floor where Uraraka and Iida were still duking it out.

Taking her chance, Uraraka made one of the loose pillars weightless and used it like a baseball bat, swatting the debris straight at Iida, who had to dodge the melee before he could get hit. Unfortunately, it pulled Iida further away from the bomb, and before he could realize what was going on, Uraraka was already on the bomb, hugging the thing to seal her team's victory, just as the buzzer dinged to signal the end of the round.

"The villain team WINS!" All Might announced, the relief on Uraraka's and Midoriya's faces almost palpable. When Iida took his helmet off, he looked resigned to the result, even congratulating Uraraka on her team's win as she slid down the rocket.

As for Bakugou, he looked completely out of it, as if he couldn't believe that his team lost the match, especially since, thanks to him, they had been dominant for most of the battle.

"Did, did that just happen?!" Kaminari asked, watching in disbelief as Midoriya fell to the ground unconscious.

"Trust me dude. It happened." Daisuke mumbled. "I tip my hat off to Uraraka and Midoriya for pulling that off, but damn did it cost Midoriya physically!"

"I'll say," said Jirou. "Bakugou was relentless in his attack. It's impressive that Midoriya even managed to stay on his feet for that long."

"That, my young students, is what you would call perseverance, a quality that all good heroes must have," All Might declared as he faced his charges. "And Midoriya has it in spades. . . Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to check on the rest of your classmates. When I come back, we will discuss the match in full. Feel free to share your thoughts while I'm gone."

" _Here's to hoping that the next few matches won't be as eventful as the one we just witnessed,"_ he thought as he walked out the room. _"I know that the other teachers mentioned that there was something going on between Bakugou and Midoriya, but I never imagined that it could get to this level . . . When Aizawa finds out, he won't be happy, and frankly, neither am I."_

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, a few things.**

 **\- I was not originally planning to start this chapter with Shizuna and Aizawa, but after the recent revelations that have been happening in the recent manga chapters, I just knew I had to add this. The first section is the first one that I've done without planning it out first and I got to say, I think it turned out great.**

 **\- Yes, Mic and Midnight will actively try to get Shizuna and Aizawa closer together. They'll just won't be obvious with it because they know Shizuna and Aizawa will kick their asses sky high if they ever found out about it.**

 **\- Yes, even _All Might_ will start looking at Bakugou's behavior with more of a concerned eye. He may still be a bit iffy when it comes to teaching, but he'll be better when it comes to reading people. . . Not at Aizawa's level, but still.**

 **See y'all next chapter for part three! This has been SandsnakeQueen, signing out!**


	14. The Battle Trials Pt 3

**A/N: Hi guys! I'm back with Part 3 of the Battle Trials Arc!**

 **But first, I know that things have been hectic since a global pandemic has broken out, but we must remember that like all the other pandemics before it, this one will eventually end in time. It may take a while to get there, but it will eventually end, and once it all ends, hopefully we learn from the mistakes and actions that have occurred throughout this time and prepare properly for anything similar in the future.**

 **Just remember, practice good hygiene habits, maintain proper social distancing measures, keep up on the news coming out so that you're aware of the situation, and remember to think on the positives rather than the negatives. One day, this will all be over, and some sense of normalcy will return to our disrupted lives.**

 **So, on a lighter note, has anyone been reading the recent chapters in the manga because damn they are a freaking DOOOOZZZY!**

 **I'm worried . . . Excited, but worried!**

 **(HAWKS, YOU BETTER NOT END UP AS FRIED CHICKEN ONCE THIS IS ALL OVER!)**

 **I have hope in Horikoshi, but damn does that man know how to pull at people's heartstrings.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Let's get to reading shall we!**

* * *

Chapter 13: The Battle Trials Pt. 3

"Well, that was a crazy match," Kirishima mumbled as soon as All Might was out of the room. "So, who wants to share their thoughts first?"

"Well, what can we even say? I have no idea how the rest of us are going to top that performance. . ." Sero mumbled, his eyes still locked on the screen. ". . . What a way to start Foundational Hero Studies huh?"

"I just hope Midoriya is okay," Tsuyu mumbled as she looked at her fellow green haired teen on screen. Midoriya had long fallen unconscious, but a collective sigh of relief passed through the class once All Might appeared on screen with a couple of medic bots tagging along. ". . . Taking all those explosions like he did is definitely not good for one's health, ribbit."

"I wonder if All Might is going to do anything about Bakugou's behavior though," Jirou mused as they watched the medic bots gently pick Midoriya up and place him on their stretcher before taking him away. The #1 Hero watched them go, and once they were out of sight, he approached Bakugou, practically towering over him as he spoke a few words to the still teen. ". . . You think he's letting him have it?"

"I'm not too sure. All Might doesn't seem like the kind of person to mercilessly berate people for their actions," Yukino mumbled, rubbing her hand against her covered chin. "Now, _Aizawa-sensei_ on the other hand, he would have some words for him if he found out about this, and for Midorya for that matter."

"That does sound like Aizawa-sensei . . ." Yaoyorozu mumbled as Iida and Uraraka walked into the room, just as All Might finished speaking with the explosive blonde.

"Hell, he wouldn't even yell at them either," Ashido mumbled as the four on screen exited the room together, though Bakugou noticeably lagged behind the others. "He'd just silently glare at the both of them with his quirk activated until they were visibly uncomfortable, and then he would lay into them without mercy."

"We're only a couple of days into this first year, and I can't help but agree with everything that Ashido just said," Kaminari mumbled, his words earning him a grin from the pink-skinned teen. "As soon as All Might tells Aizawa-sensei about what happened just now, he's going to call Bakugou and Midoriya out, and he won't be nice about it."

"Is he even capable of being nice?" Kirishima asked, looking not too sure about the possibility.

"He did let everyone stay in the class after the Apprehension Test when he could have expelled some of us instead," Daisuke reminded him. ". . . I think that counts."

The class continued to think on the idea of their homeroom teacher being capable of acting nice until All Might, Uraraka, Iida, and Bakugou returned to the room. As Iida and Uraraka got reacquainted with the group and All Might checked over the surveillance equipment, Bakugou stood away from everybody else, remaining silent as he looked down at the ground below him.

"I'm sure that many of you are curious to learn about young Midoriya's condition," All Might started to say as he finally looked over the class, many with curious expressions on their faces. "We won't be privy to that information for a while, likely not until the end of class."

"He is going to be okay right?" Kirishima asked, voicing the elephant in the room.

"From what I could see, Midoriya, at the very least, has a broken arm and burn marks throughout one side of his body. The burn marks don't look like they're permanent though, but we'll know for sure later in the day," All Might calmly clarified. "Now, calm your worries everyone. Midoriya will be just fine with Recovery Girl looking after him. I'm sure he'll be back on his feet before the day is up."

"He'll need a lot of her kisses for that though. . ." Sero mumbled, keeping his voice low so no one else could hear.

"Anyway, back to what we're here for. Before we can move on to the next match, we still have to go over the performances from the one that just concluded," All Might announced, his cheery attitude back in place. "Of our four competitors, _Iida_ was the one that performed the best. Can anyone tell me why?"

"May I?" Yaoyorozu asked, raising her hand like she was already in her element. All Might simply nodded, getting the feeling that everyone was going to get quite a lesson. "Iida performed the best because he completed his role to the best of his capabilities. Despite being left to guard the bomb alone, he remained committed to his role, adapting and developing a sound strategy that put Uraraka at a sound disadvantage."

"Though Uraraka also did well for her team, she became too reckless toward the end of the match, especially with her last attack."

"If this was a real bomb situation, Uraraka would risk the safety of everyone around her because that swing she took was so indiscriminate. One of those pieces of debris she swung at could have hit the bomb, and poof, there goes the entire building. Well, if this was a real situation of course," Daisuke realized, cutting into Momo's explanation. ". . . Oh, sorry Yaoyorozu. Didn't mean to but in."

"That's okay Daisuke. Besides, you pretty much summed up what I was going to say next anyway, so there really isn't much for me to add there." Momo said, smiling back at him to show that she didn't mind his interruption. Daisuke nodded, trying hard not to blush at the mere sight of it. "Anyway, as for Bakugou and Midoriya, their use of long ranged attacks indoors was completely idiotic. If this was real life, not only could the bomb go off due to all the shockwaves and debris, but they also put their own teammates in unnecessary danger, especially if they possibly got themselves caught in the crossfire."

"All of what you - and to a smaller degree, young Daisuke - said is correct, Yaoyorozu," All Might stated, soon turning his gaze toward the rest of the class. "I hope you all learned a lot from this first match you just witnessed. Not only are you here to learn from us teachers, you are also here to learn from each other. . . You may learn from others' mistakes, or you may want to emulate a move that you think could work for your arsenal. Lessons are all around you, but it's up to you to take them in and use them as your own."

As All Might turned around to scout out another building to use for class on screen, the students were momentarily left to their own devices. As they talked amongst themselves, Bakugou remained by himself in the periphery, silent as a mouse as he looked down at the ground, still mulling over his thoughts.

After his earlier display, not many of his classmates were leaping at the chance to talk to him. Kirishima was the closest, but after one look at his face, he figured it was best to keep his distance until the blonde looked a little more approachable.

"Ah, now that I have scouted a new building, we can move on to the next match," All Might announced as he faced the class once again. "For our second match, Team B will face Team I. Team B will be the heroes and Team I are the villains."

"Hmm, so your team are the heroes . . ." Daisuke mumbled as he looked over at the half-and-half teen. "Kinda ironic considering how villainous you look in your costume."

"You're going to continue bashing my costume for as long as I decide to wear it aren't you?" Shouto decided to ask as everyone else started whispering.

"As long as you insist on wearing it like this, definitely . . ." Daisuke uttered, smirking as Shouto simply glared at him before walking over to join his teammate and the other team in front of the Symbol of Peace to receive their supplies and instructions. ". . . This should be fun."

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

 _ **Five minutes later**_

It didn't take long for the two teams to make their way to the new building that All Might had selected. While Shouto and Shoji remained outside, Yukino and Ojiro quickly made their way to the room where the new fake bomb was located, ready to protect it with all they had.

"So, would it be wrong of me to assume that Todoroki is going to be the more problematic one from Team B?" Ojiro decided to ask, breaking the silence that had befallen the two since leaving the surveillance room. "Don't get me wrong. I'm sure Shoji is quite capable in a fight, but his quirk seems better suited for surveillance and radar than for actual battle."

"You make a good point about Shoji, but you're right, Todoroki is going to be the more dangerous opponent, so we must always be wary of him," Yukino advised as they exited the staircase. "Don't worry about his fire. Unless he's defrosting something, he never uses it."

"Why though?" Ojiro asked, curious to know. "I know his ice is powerful, but he can produce fire as well. Considering your quirk, wouldn't it be more in his interest to use that side of his power against you?"

"It would definitely be the better choice," Yukino agreed as they walked down the empty hallway. "Shouto's ice is his current greatest asset, but it's his fire that would certainly give him the advantage against me. The problem for him is that he doesn't like using it, plain and simple . . . He has reasons why, but don't ask him about it. He won't tell you. . . He hasn't even told me or my brother, and we've known him for _years_ now."

"I'll remember that for later . . ." Ojiro conceded as they neared the one open doorway in the hall. When they walked into the room, their eyes took in the sight of the large fake bomb that stood across from them. It was a mirror image of the bomb used in the first match, and it cut quite the imposing sight as it stood among the multitude of boxes standing around the large room.

"So, how are we going to do this?" The tail-wielding student asked as his white-haired compatriot walked further into the room. "What's the plan?"

"Well, knowing Shouto, he'll definitely be the one to make the first move, and I think I know which one he's going to start with," Yukino announced as she looked him over her shoulder. ". . . Trust me; he's not one to start small either. His first attack is going to be big and far reaching, so it's best to stay on our toes."

"Well, if that's the case, I think it's best if I let you take the lead on this one," Yukino could only look at him in disbelief as Ojiro awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Todoroki is the stronger threat, and you're more familiar with his skill set than I am. It's pretty much a no-brainer once you think about it. . . Just tell me what I need to do, because I'll follow it to the letter if that will ensure our victory."

"Thank you Ojiro," Yukino breathed, having not expected the vote of confidence. "I may not have the same power output that Shouto has, but I've been working on some big moves that I have been dying to try out. This seems like the best time to use them, as well as a little deception. . . Alright, here's the plan!"

Meanwhile, outside of the building, Shoji and Shouto were still awaiting the signal to begin. Unlike Yukino and Ojiro, the two teens had not come together to think over their strategy.

Then again, they had yet to even talk to each other, with neither knowing how to approach the other.

While Shoji tried to figure out a way to approach his stoic half-and-half teen, Shouto was busy with his thoughts. He was thinking about the upcoming match, but not for the reasons that Shoji probably had.

This was the first time that he was facing either of the twins outside of the casual sparring matches they've had over the years, and though he didn't show it on his half-frozen face, Shouto was surprisingly eager and nervous for what was to come. Ojiro's quirk seemed simple enough to counter in his eyes, but Yukino was an entirely different story.

He knew that Yukino was a fighter that focused on technique rather than offensive power like he did. She was a planner, but if her plans went up in smoke, she was quick-witted enough to think of things on the fly, making her a dangerous opponent overall.

" _This is not going to be an easy battle to win . . ."_ He thought as the sound of footsteps reached his ears. When he looked up, Shoji was standing a couple feet away, looking down at him with a curiosity dancing in his eyes. "Is something wrong Shoji?"

"I was wondering if you had a strategy going into this battle," he voiced, speaking from a mouth he grew from one of his arms. "You have a long friendship with Onizaki, so you must have a sense of how she fights right?"

"You're not concerned about Ojiro?" Shouto ventured to ask, his left eyebrow raised slightly as a bit of static came through his earpiece.

"I'm sure Ojiro is a skilled opponent, but his quirk appears too straightforward to be highly difficult to counter," The multi-armed teen explained, looking up at the building that they would soon be entering. "Onizaki, on the other hand . . . well, she's proven during the apprehension test that she's quite versatile with her quirk. It's not going to be easy to counter."

"No, it isn't. . ." Shouto agreed, having seen it in action many times before. At that moment, it occurred to him that using his fire would likely end the battle before it even began, but he brushed that thought aside immediately once he remembered why he didn't use his fire anymore. "Yukino will be the harder one to face. She moves around a lot when she fights, so immobilizing her is a high priority."

"And how do you suggest we do exactly that?" Shoji asked.

"Leave it to me," said the half-and-half teen as he looked up at the building. "This is a risk, but if all goes well, I should be able to end everything in one move."

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

 _ **Back in the surveillance room**_

"Hmm, it looks like the teams are ready to go," All Might pleasantly announced as he watched the two teams talk on screen. He brought his hand to his earpiece, turning it on with a press of a button. "Team B! Team I! You may BEGIN!"

"Daisuke, who do you think is going to make the first move?" Sero quickly asked as the four on screen nodded their heads.

"Definitely Todoroki," The cat teen was quick to say as the half-and-half teen started walking toward the building, Shoji quietly following right after him. "He likes to make the first move a lot when we spar, and when he does, he goes big."

"How big are we talking about exactly?" Jiro asked.

"Look, I know that I'm the most well versed when it comes to my sister and Todoroki's fighting styles, but I don't want to spoil it for the rest of you guys," Daisuke argued as they watched Shouto place his hand on the wall. "You just have to watch and see."

As soon as the last word left his lips, the class and their teacher watched in awe as the building quickly froze over, both outside and in. No surface was left untouched, not even the various cameras that were supposed to keep track of the action in the building. With Ojiro and Yukino effectively blocked from view, all eyes were on their two opponents, and while Shoji was shocked at the display of power, Shouto's face didn't give away what he was thinking one bit.

"Is, is it over already?" Kaminari asked in awe, his voice slightly shaky.

"If it is, he didn't give the other team a chance to react," said Tokoyami, shaking his head at such a display. ". . . Such power."

"It was an effective strategy though," Yaoyorozu announced as she placed her hands on her hips. "By freezing the entire building, Todoroki effectively immobilized his opposition in one go, while also ensuring that the bomb wouldn't activate by freezing the circuitry."

"Those are both good points, but that only works if he was facing anybody else that wasn't my sister," Daisuke added, bringing all eyes on him once again. "It may appear that Shouto and Shoji has this in the bag, but don't count out the villain team just yet."

"Well, it would help if we actually knew what was going on inside, but all the cameras are covered with frost!" Uraraka reminded him, pointing at the iced over screen that was supposed to show Yukino and Ojiro by the bomb.

"Oh, we won't have to worry about that for long. Sis can handle that easily enough. Just watch."

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

 _ **Back on the field**_

"Oh, now I see what you meant when you said to leave things to you," Shoji admitted, his voice slightly shaky as he tried to digest the sheer magnitude of power that he just witnessed. "Everything inside must be frozen solid at this point."

"I didn't freeze it all till it was frozen solid; just enough that anything that could move inside has been rendered immobilized," Todoroki clarified as he pulled his hand from the wall. "Our path to the bomb should be clear now. Let's get inside, claim it, and win this match."

"I can get behind that. . ." Shoji agreed as he looked up at the building, his eyes widening slightly at what he saw. "What the. . ?"

Shouto watched Shoji's face unsurely before turning to see what he was looking at. His eyes widened immediately as he saw his ice melt away into mist, becoming a thick fog as it started to cover the building. If it was getting harder to see the building up close, the visibility was likely nonexistent inside.

"What the hell?!" Shouto asked, slightly awed at the sight he was witnessing.

"Um, what exactly is happening here?" Shoji asked as Todoroki took a step back.

"This must be Yukino's doing," Todoroki concluded. "She must be unfreezing my ice. I've seen her do this to my ice before, but it was always small scale, not to this magnitude, and so quickly too."

"It seems your friend has been hiding some tricks from you. . ." Shoji concluded as the two continued to look up at the building.

"I guess you're right, and I knew freezing the building was a risk, but to see my technique countered so quickly . . . Looks like I can't rely too much on just my prior knowledge after all," Todoroki conceded as he turned to the doorway. "C'mon, this is a timed event we're competing in. The longer we waste time out here, the more likely the other team wins."

* * *

 **F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D**

 _ **Back in the surveillance room**_

"What, what just happened?" Kirishima asked, his face the epitome of confusion as he looked at the screens. Even Bakugou seemed mystified by what was being shown, having raised his head to watch the match as soon as All Might gave the green light. "What the hell is going on?"

"Todoroki's face before he and Shoji went into the building . . . I'm guessing what just happened was something that he isn't used to seeing, right?" Iida surmised as he turned his gaze to the smug looking cat teen.

"You would be correct Iida," came Daisuke's calm reply as he kept his eyes glued to the screen. "Sure, sis and Shouto have had their share of sparring matches over the years, but that doesn't mean that Yukino has shown all her skills against him."

"She held back in their fights?" Momo asked as the camera screen that was focused on Yukino and Ojiro finally cleared up. Everyone watched in amazement as the fog swirled around the two, moving in step with the movements of Yukino's hands.

"Not really, per se," Daisuke clarified. "Shouto is familiar with the kind of tactics Sis is prone to using during their sparring matches, but she has other skills in her arsenal that she practices that Todoroki isn't too aware of."

"What do you mean by that?" Jirou asked, though her eyes were more on the screen than on Daisuke.

"Yukino has always been a rather straightforward fighter when it comes to past sparring bouts, but this time around, I think she's trying an entirely different strategy. More deception and subterfuge, I think," Daisuke answered as he looked at the screen. "Shouto may have thought freezing the entire building would work for his benefit, but Yukino is definitely not going to make this easy for him."

"She's using his own move to her advantage!" Uraraka realized, a grin spreading across her face at having figured it out. It also helped that Daisuke's smirk seemed to confirm her conclusion. "I knew from the test on the first day that Yukino could shift water between its three possible forms, but I didn't think her quirk stretched as far as being able to manipulate the phases of water that other people can manipulate."

"So, she's using Shouto's technique as extra ammunition for herself and Ojiro?" Sero realized as the fog on screen appeared to thicken around Yukino and Ojiro, obscuring them from view once again. "But how exactly is she going to use it though?"

"If we keep watching," Tsuyu mumbled as they watched Shouto and Shoji walk down one of the hallways. "Maybe we'll find out, ribbit."

* * *

 _ **Back on the field**_

"They're in a room on the top floor," Shoji announced as he pulled his ear away from the wall. As soon as they stepped into the building, the multi-armed student wasted no time to survey their surroundings while Todoroki stood guard. "I don't think they've moved since they first arrived."

"If I was in their shoes, I likely wouldn't move either. With all this fog around us, they have the tactical advantage now," Shouto mumbled as he looked up at the ceiling. "Our visibility is certainly hampered here."

"Can't you summon a small flame to light our way?" Shoji asked as he stood up. "It would solve our visibility problem."

"I could, but it would risk signaling our location to the others," Shouto realized as the fog started to lighten up. "I avoid using it as much as I can for . . . personal reasons, so I haven't practiced with it for a while. I'm not really subtle with it either. Yukino and Ojiro would see us a mile away if I tried to use it now."

"So, not only is our sight affected by this fog, our best chance in regaining our visibility could negatively work in our favor if we tried it," Shoji concluded as he looked around at their surroundings. "We really are fighting an uneven battle here."

"And I must apologize as a result," Todoroki conceded as they started moving forward. "If I hadn't gone ahead and used my first technique, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Like you said before; you didn't expect Onizaki to be able to counter it so quickly. Sometimes we get surprised by what our friends can do," Shoji reminded him as he looked down the hall. "Right now, we need to figure out how we're going to beat the other team when they have such a huge advantage. Any ideas?"

"Well, when most people decide to shape the environment to their advantage, they mainly do so to guide the battle in their favor. By obscuring our sight, Yukino and Ojiro are likely trying to delay us as much as they can so that our time becomes much more limited." Shouto mused as they started moving forward.

"Makes sense; if they delay us, we wouldn't have much time to catch them or get the bomb, thus increasing their own chances for winning while decreasing ours in turn."

"Yes; so, if their goal is to delay us by obscuring our vision, our best bet is to keep moving forward and bring the fight to them."

"So, we'll just forge on ahead and run deeper into enemy territory?" Shoji asked. "That's a bit risky, don't you think?"

"It is, and I'm open to any ideas you may have, but remember, this is a timed event, and we are wasting valuable time standing here," Todoroki reminded him. Shoji took one more look down the hallway before turning to the half-and-half teen, nodding his head to show that he was in. "Let's go then!"

The two ran further down the hallway, soon finding a stairwell that would take them up to the top floor. As they traveled up the staircase, the fog grew thicker and thicker, obscuring their vision even further. When they reached the floor that was just under the top one, Shouto called for them to stop, putting his hand out to stop Shoji from moving even further.

"Shoji, scan the room again," he ordered. "See if they're still there."

"Give me a second," Shoji mumbled as he pressed his ear to the wall, his eyes widening slightly as he pulled his ear back. "They're not upstairs!"

"What?!" Shouto asked, turning his head just in time to see his multi-armed classmate smacked away by a large tail, dodging when the tail almost hit him. He landed awkwardly on the stairs, and when he finally managed to get up, he saw Ojiro kicking Shoji into the hallway before running right after him. He moved to follow them but stopped when he saw the fog gathering in front of him at the doorway, crystallizing until it was a solid wall of ice.

The two were effectively separated.

"Crap!" Todoroki grumbled as he heard footsteps nearby. He looked up, spotting feet that looked like Yukino's boots moving to the next floor. Figuring that Shoji could handle himself against Ojiro, the half-and-half teen moved to follow her, going deeper into the fog.

When he reached the top floor, the fog was as thick as a bowl of soup, forcing Shouto to bring a flame to his hand to light the way. Keeping himself on high alert, Shouto kept his eyes wide open for Yukino as he made his way to the room where the bomb was held. The fog was surprisingly lighter in the room, revealing the boxes and the bomb that awaited inside.

"Where is s-?!" Shouto tried to say before getting rudely interrupted, courtesy of Yukino helicopter kicking him in the face, sending him skidding off to the side.

"Hmm, I was wondering how long it was going to take you to get up here," Yukino mused as she started to crack her knuckles. "Then again, shouldn't there be **two** of you up here trying to claim the bomb, and not one?"

"We got separated on our way up here," Shouto managed to bite out as he made sure he wasn't missing any teeth. Yukino had nailed him on the side that wasn't covered in ice, and though he was grateful that none of his teeth were kicked out of his mouth, he knew he was going to be sporting a pretty nasty bruise for a while. "Was it your idea to split us up?"

"Maybe. . ." she teased, her expression hard to discern thanks to the mask she wore. "Hmm, I wasn't expecting you to even speak Todoroki. You tend to keep your words to yourself and let your actions speak for you instead."

"Maybe I was in the mood for conversation . . ." Shouto countered, knowing very well that Yukino had a point. He knew he was more of a silent type when it came to fighting, but in this instance, he felt compelled to answer his white-haired opponent. "I must admit. I did not expect you to reverse my first attack so quickly."

"It's not like I showed you all my cards during all our old spars. . ." Yukino mused as she compressed some of the fog until it was ice, shaping it into a standard bo staff. "Now then, don't you have a match to lose?"

"I wasn't planning on i-" Shouto started to say, finding himself cut off thanks to being struck in the back. He grimaced as he found himself skidding along the floor once again, sailing past Yukino before stopping a few feet later. "I'm starting to get tired of that."

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Shouto slowly got up, his eyes widening when he saw that he was no longer looking at one Yukino.

He was staring at _two._

"Huh, it seems you've finally perfected your water clone technique. . ." Shouto mumbled, sneaking a look at the Yukino that was standing closer to the bomb.

"It's definitely something to be proud of. . ." Both Yukino's mirrored each other as they spoke, the two now wielding matching bo staffs. "Now then, let's fight!"

Shouto immediately moved away as one of the Yukinos lunged toward him, narrowly missing a bo staff to the forehead by inches. He launched a torrent of ice but stopped himself short to dodge a kick from the other Yukino, who had been aiming for his ice-covered side.

The first Yukino moved in for another attack, but Shouto dodged it again, catching her in the back with a well-placed kick to the spine. It sent her sprawling to the floor, exploding into a cloud of fog as soon as she touched the ground.

"Well that was rather anticlimactic," Shouto mumbled as he sent a torrent of ice the real Yukino's way. "You must be getting tired."

"Not in the slightest. . . What about you? You don't look too good yourself." she mumbled in return, raising her hand out to turn his ice into water. Forming them into spikes, she launched them back toward Shouto, who retaliated by creating a wall of ice to stop the attack in its tracks.

"No thanks to you!" Shouto mumbled as he launched another attack her way, only to watch it be turned into water that swirled around her body like a protective shield. "This bruise you gave me won't go away in a day."

"Visit Recovery Girl after the match is over. I'm sure that she'll be happy to patch you right up!" Yukino suggested, sending a hoard of ice needles straight toward the half-and-half teen. He blocked them with another ice wall. "Are ice walls all you're going to throw at me in this match? You won't get the bomb or catch me at this rate."

" _Crap, she's right. . ."_ Shouto thought, knowing that he wasn't the most creative person when it came to his ice. In that category, Yukino beat him by a wide margin. _"I got to think of something, or else my team loses."_

He looked up from his ice wall to judge his position from the bomb, ducking when a whip of water almost nailed him in the face, hitting the top of his ice wall instead. Not knowing when or if Shoji was ever going to join him in this fight, Todoroki figured that he was by himself for now and thus had to do what he could to ensure his team's victory.

For the next few minutes, the two exchanged powerful attack after powerful attack. Knowing that neither could go all out due to the limits of the room, the two were evenly matched as they exchanged blows, with Shouto attacking her with powerful ice blasts, only to see them countered by Yukino's ability to shift them out of their solid form. It was a back and forth affair that had everyone in the surveillance room transfixed on them, completely ignoring the other battle for the sake of not missing who would end up gaining the upper hand between Todoroki and Yukino.

Eventually, it was Shouto that finally managed to get the upper hand, catching Yukino off guard by freezing her legs while she was off balance due to dodging a multitude of ice barrages that the half-and-half teen quickly sent her way. Noticing that Yukino's ability to shift his ice was getting slower as time went on, Shouto made sure to thicken the ice around her to ensure it would be a while before she could properly thaw herself out.

Yukino, not wanting to lose like this, sent a series of icy projectiles at Shouto as he was running for the bomb while simultaneously thawing herself out. Unfortunately for her, Todoroki either dodged them by moving out of the way or creating an ice wall to stop them before they could even hit him.

"Sorry Yukino. . ." Shouto announced as he touched the bomb, just as the alarm sounded to signal the end of the match. ". . . But this is my team's victory."

"Oh, you really think so?"

"What do you mean by that?" Shouto quickly asked as their earpieces buzzed to life, signaling that All Might was on the line. "Wait a second. . ."

"Now that was an excellent match, but unfortunately for the heroes, the winning team. . . is the VILLAINS!" The Symbol of Peace yelled before the line went dead, his words coming as a relief to Yukino and Ojiro but serving as quite a shock to Todoroki and Shoji.

"But, but how is that possible?!" Shouto asked as Yukino continued to defrost herself. "I stopped you. I'm touching the bomb. . ."

"Yeah, about that. . ." Yukino mumbled as she pointed to a corner of the room. Shouto followed her direction and turned to where she was pointing at, his eyes widening when he saw an exact replica of the bomb he was touching standing almost completely hidden behind a stack of boxes. "That bomb over there is the real one. The one you're touching is a fake one I made out of some of the ice you covered this building with earlier in the match."

"So, you used some of my own ice to serve as a decoy?!"

"Well, yeah. . . Pretty much," Yukino agreed as she continued to work on freeing her legs. "After all, All Might did say that us villain teams had to defend our weapon as best as we could. He never said that we couldn't move it somewhere else and put a decoy in its place."

"You . . . you make a good point," Shouto conceded as he finally noticed that Yukino was still working on defrosting herself. "You don't need to continue exerting yourself . . . Here, allow me."

"Thanks . . ." Yukino acquiesced as Shouto approached. "You know, this is the most I've ever had to use my quirk at one time . . . I still need to work on my stamina."

"Your stamina?" Todoroki asked as he made quick work of her frozen legs. "You didn't look that tired during the battle. . . You really surprised me today Yukino."

"Maybe it's because I'm really good at hiding my fatigue," Yukino suggested as she stretched out her legs to get some feeling back into them. "As for surprising you, I'll take that as a badge of honor. . . And Shouto, we may spar on occasion, but that doesn't mean you've already got the gist of everything I'm capable of from the very start. After all, if you won't use your full strength when we fight, then why should I?"

Shouto looked at her as if she had suddenly slapped him. He tried to say something, but soon found himself coming up with no words. All he could do was look at his friend in a new light, now knowing that she was a lot more capable than he originally gave her credit for. He knew that Yukino was smart, but now knowing that she was capable of more than what she previously showed made him realize, not only did he realize that she was much stronger than she looked, he could see her as his rival just as much as he saw her as his close friend.

"Fair enough . . ." Shouto finally managed to say, concluding that sparring with her will never be the same for him again.

"Good," said Yukino as she finally pulled her mask down from her face. "Now then, let's go find Shoji and Ojiro and get out of here."

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, a few things. . .**

 **1\. I don't see All Might as the berate the students mercilessly type. That's more Aizawa - and to a smaller degree, Shizuna's - thing, and it will continue throughout the story.**

 **2\. So, I've already established that Yukino can manipulate water within it's three forms. I've also mentioned that the amount of water she can create depends on how much she personally weighs, and that anything higher than that causes her some strain. What I haven't mentioned is that when it comes to manipulating the forms of water that _other people_ can create, Yukino can manipulate as much as she wants, so when Shouto tried to freeze the building earlier in the chapter, boom, all that ice became her play thing. If you also haven't noticed, Yukino's speed when it comes to shifting between phases decreases the longer she fights. . . So, yes, she can get tired.**

 **3\. As you have just read, this match did not end up as the absolute victory for Shouto and Shoji that it was in canon. With an opponent that's more capable in handling his ice in Yukino, I figured I was better off making the match longer, and having him lose just for good measure. . . Not because I want him to lose because I was petty, but for character growth of course**

 **4\. I may not have written much about Shoji and Ojiro and their fight, but trust me, it was decent one . . . in my head. I may expound more on that in the next chapter when I finally wrap up this arc.**

 **Anyway, coming up next, the aftermath of this battle, some details on the rest of the battles, and the overall conclusion of the Battle Trails Arc.**

 **This has been SandsnakeQueen, signing off!**


End file.
